Megaman Battle Network: Darker Side of The Net
by DemonKnightstar
Summary: This is an AU that follows the first three Megaman Battle Network games loosely but with different scenarios from Lan's and a couple of different enemies. There will also be some scenes from the anime thrown into here. Disclaimer; Megaman Battle Network belongs to CapCom. I only own a few random people in here.
1. Prologue

Prologue

"G̴e̷T̴ â̸͇w̸̭͂A̸̡̿y̵̦̾ ̴̳̌F̶̙̈́R̷̺̋ȯ̵̗M̵̯̔ ̸̞̈́M̸̼̈e̴̗͘!̷̨̉!"̰

Electricity sparked up from the keyboard then lashed out at the glitching Navis' operator, striking her palms and her collarbone. She cried out in a mix of pain and shock, dropping her PET as she stumbled back. The image on the computer spazzed a bit, the neglected hardware struggling to adjust to the power the dark NetNavi was creating uncontrollably.

"S̴̛̟̣͉̒̾̔͝t̴̞͓̝͍̬̙͎͚͆͒̔̆̀̈́̀ͅǍ̸̞͍͓͔̺̬̙̯̎̉͑͆̐̊͑̈́̕Y̶̗͔͎͚͎͔͓͚͕͎̳̳̓̒̇̍̒̎͊̒͂̋̇͒͒̚ ̶̲̗̜̱̭̻̲̳̥̾͐̌̑͗̓͂́̄̊͑̊̕̕͜ͅͅB̸̡̛̛̠̳̘͍̗̐̎͘̚ä̸̜̺̟̮́̔̑̑͗̋͜c̵̛̰̗̏̆͗̈̽̑͆̈́́͂̂̕͝͠K̶͖̃̇̓̅͘͝," The corrupted Navi growled, stumbling back himself as he clutched his head in pain.

The girl looked up from her injured hands and her oddly-colored eyes softened in concern for her friend and partner. A loud bang caught her attention and she turned to see the door had been slammed open as a monochrome-haired male rushed to her side, his personal terminal in hand.

"%#$, are you okay?!"

"Yes," She lied without hesitation, her hands raised to her chest to hide her burns, "But something's happened to #$%&!"

The Netbattler nodded his head then raised his PET to the jack-in port, "Right. Jack in, #^*%*&$#! Power up!"

A red light shot out from his handheld device and into the jack-in port, joining the mental Navi in the computer's net space. The cloaked Netnavi turned as the bright red elite Navi approached. He growled lowly and got into a ready stance, his vision glitching badly, so much that he couldn't recognize someone he fought alongside with only a week ago. A glitching dark energy blade formed in his hand, which was promptly swung at his "opponent". The other Navi took two running steps then jumped over the pulse wave that was created and landed in a crouch with one arm held close to his chest, a light red sword replacing that said hand as it formed.

"You need to calm down, #$%&."

"J̶̧̧̩͎̭̤̱̮̻͙̲͕̻̍̌̓̋͐̉̓̔͛̔́͋͝Ù̶̟͍̰͇͚͎͖̈͊̈͋͒̓̕̕s̷̹̖̟̹͎͈̘̭̮̄̓͋̒́̕T̵̢̤̱̼͙͇͔̟̲͕̤͠ ̵̡̫͔̙̳̤̬̙̗͍̖͛͋̅̌̽̋̀̂͘͜͝L̵̛̘̩̖̪̹̩̱͔͌ę̷͍̺͕̲̝̖̗͗͗̄̋̂͂̑́͜͝͝͠A̵̺̼̻̳̥̹̝͊͛́͂̀͒̀́͑̊͘͝V̴̧̼̪̩̝͈͓̩͒̇͐̿̑͊̅͌͜e̵̬̪̬͐̍̾̂̚ ̶̢̟̻̯͕̝̤̟̒́̍̈́́̄̍͆͒̚̚M̵̠̬̀̉͐͐̕Ȅ̶̡̳̣̞͚͎̮̲̺̥́̑ͅͅ ̴̨͔̰̫̞͖͓͇̦̦̰̮͖̭̓̈̐̀͐̌̉̒͝A̸͇̱̞͎̲͍͒̋̔̕L̵̫̺͖͓͍̝͗͗͗̈́͛̾͂͝͠Ȯ̸̢̢͍͉̖̽̅͒̂̐̓́̐̑̚͠Ṋ̵̘̯͖̯̙̤̹͚̼̱̜͛̒ͅͅÊ̸̡̛͂̑͊̾͊!̴͉̠͎͍̟̬̓̃"̫


	2. Chapter 1- Snippy, Snappy, Snarky

Chapter 1- Snippy, Snappy, Snarky

*I've noticed that people have been skipping chapters. Please don't, none of them are fillers and the story won't make sense in the long run if you skip.*

"Eva!"

5 am, in a young girl's bedroom, something moved from under the covers of a whitish-pink bed and a low groan filled the semi-girly room.

"Come on, Evalince, time to get up or you'll be late for school!"

A light red comforter was thrown off of the sleepy body and fell in a heap to the floor, followed by a pair of feet landing next to it, "K, Dad. Just give me a second to get dressed."

"Well hurry up, your breakfast is getting cold!"

Eva huffed in amusement at her father, brushing back a lock of golden-blonde and red-streaked hair off her shoulder before picking out her outfit for the day. Which consisted of a light red crop top with an off-white dress that had a brilliant red sash attached to her waist and hanging off her hip slightly. Covering her feet were light tan, frilled socks, and off-white converse, her golden laces tied into a perfect bow. Once she reached the bottom of the steps, the sound of a car starting up and tires on gravel greeted her ears. That was most likely her father or her uncle heading to work. Probably both since they worked at the same research lab. Her aunt was seated across from Eva's plate, tapping in her laptop's keyboard as she wrote a review of a hotel in Netopia that she had spent the last week in. From the looks on her face, it wasn't a very good visit. The young girl sat in her seat then started eating her breakfast, noticing that her father took the time to make French Toast and make a face on it with blueberry syrup. One of her favorites. After breakfast, the young girl picked up her school bag, pecked her aunt's cheek in a goodbye then jogged out the front door, her aunt's sing-song voice following after her just before the door closed.

"Hey, Ev," Her friend-since-birth chirped to her, hopping in place while waiting for her best friend to get to her side.

"Hannah," The golden-blonde drawled in annoyance, coppery-hazel eyes meeting sky blue orbs, "My nickname is short enough without you making a nickname for it."

The mildly airheaded brunette giggled softly into her pale hand before skipping next to her friend as they walked to school together, like they have been since fourth grade, "Yeah, but it's fun. Anyway, did you hear about the virus outbreak in DenTech City?"

"How could I not, our town's literally right next to it. Besides, we're not completely free of viruses ourselves."

"Well, duh," Hannah replied, rolling her eyes like a stereotypical blonde would, "No one that has access to the Net is free of those dummies. I'm just saying that they're more- Oh! We're here!"

Eva chuckled softly as her hyper friend as she left the blonde's side and ran into the school, eager to start the new topic her class would work on. Now if only she could join her friend…. If only she hadn't been held back twice. If only she had a NetNavi. If only her father weren't so damn protective…..

…. If only her mom hadn't disappeared like she did. With a sigh, the long-haired female walked with the rest of the fifth graders to Mr. Marker's class then sat in her assigned seat in the back, the only seat without a jack-in port. Almost immediately after she sat down, her new-ish friend set down upon her, grinning broadly like he always did.

"Hey, Eva-vava," Came his annually greeting, his voice unusually loud like always.

"Mike! No yelling. Teacher's rulers!"

'What is with people and them making nicknames for my nickname?' The older student wondered good-humoredly, a small smile on her lips, "Hey yourself, Mike-and-Ike."

"What, no 'hi's for me?" Quickman, Mike's NetNavi, butted in, a mocking tone of hurt in his voice.

"Hpmh.~ Depends on if you're nice, Quickster," The golden-blonde shot back, a smirk on her face now.

"HAH! Look who's talking! Hehehe!"

"Students be seated."

At the teacher's voice, students who weren't already in their assigned seats rushed about the classroom in a mini panic before everyone was in their places and the former volume was now gone.

"Very good. I hope everyone has enjoyed their weekend and are now ready for school work to start up again," Mr. Marker started as he walked to his desk to begin the school day, "Now for roll call; Evalince Charity?"

"Just Eva, Mr. Keith..."

The young female made sure to make her dislike of the teacher known, speaking disrespectfully and calling him by his first name. After all, this was the man who made sure she was held back both times. Their gazes meet each other, each burning with hatred for the other before the later moved his gaze back to the student sheet in his hands. Now for her punishment, in three, two, one...

"Detention, Miss Charity."

There it is. Cue eye roll...

* * *

When the bell rang to signify that the school day was over, Eva pretended to make her way to the front with her bag in hand then slipped into the crowd of students making their way out of the classroom and exited from the second door in the back of the room that lead to the courtyard. Once outside, she slipped in between the wall and the bushes next to it then made her way to the gap in the fence no one knew about. One of her many escape routes. Next was the long trip home. And the inevitable shouting she would get from her father once he found out about her skipping detention again. With another eye roll, the golden-blonde slipped her bag over her shoulders then started forward in a fast jog before breaking into an all-out sprint, her body angled so her bag wouldn't so her down so much.

"Story of my life..."

* * *

"Honestly, young lady, when are you going to respect your elders?!"

"I do respect my elders," The irritated female snapped, following her pacing father through narrow eyes, "But after all he did to me, asking me to respect that asshole is too much!"

After her teacher sent her father his message, Mr. Charity left work early to reprimand his daughter. Lucky her. She usually got to wait until he was gone work to get scolded.

"Evalince Rose Charity," Her aunt gasped in surprise and disbelieve, "Language!"

The girl's icy glare was sent upon the older woman briefly before setting on her father again. He was glaring at her, too, now. After a few seconds of glaring at each other, he lifted his hand and pointed to the stairs that lead to her room.

"Go to your room and do your homework. You're to stay in there until dinner, then shower and it's straight to bed with you."

With an irritated sigh, Eva rose from her spot on the couch and grabbed her PET then headed to her room when someone clearing their throat made her stop in mid-step. Turning back around, she saw her father standing there with his hand outstretched expectantly while his other hand was on his waist.

"Hand it over."

"What," The golden-blonde replied in a mixture of confusion and disbelief, already coming to the conclusion as it passed her lips.

"It's part as your punishment," He informed, no sign of regret in his pale yellow eyes, "Your PET. Now."

Reluctantly, the young girl did as told before running up to her room, where she sent the next six hours until dinner. The young blondes' aunt sighed softly then turned to her brother, her amber eyes narrowing amber eyes firmly.

"You have to be less forceful, Nicholas… Remember, she's one of the few in school who still doesn't have a NetNavi but the only one to be held back, twice, because of it, which frustrates her."

Nicholas borrowed his eyes as well, the same color as hers', "She needs to be disciplined. A child allowed to run around unbridled becomes a delinquent, Katerine."

"And children held too tight in their parents' grasp will seek a way to break free, often illegally. Stop believing in stereotypes like that," The younger sister snapped, her arms folded over her chest firmly.

"I'm not going to argue about this with you again," The scientist replied, turning away from her, "Besides, she is not your daughter. Let me parent the way I want."

* * *

Eva was intercepted on the way down by her uncle, who handed the girls' personal device back, smirking at her softly.

"I have a present for you after dinner but you'll need this for it," He stated with a wink before raising a finger to his lips, "Just don't let my idiot brother-in-law see it, alright kiddo?"

Eva nodded with a grin before slipping the device into her crop tops' front pocket before following him to the dining room. The meal seemed to fly by without much talking, much to the young females' surprise. Though, her aunt and father didn't look at each other at all while everyone ate, almost like they had a recent fight. Finally, their housemaid came to clear their plates away, her uncle rising from his seat and leaving the room before returning with a strange chip in his hand. A frown found a way onto Nicholas' face almost the instant he laid eyes on the chip.

"She's not ready. Besides, she needs her-"

"Check your pockets, dear brother of mine.~"

Mr. Charity furrowed his brows in confusion and did as suggested, patting his pockets several times as a scowl appeared on his face. Angry amber eyes met calm copper spheres as Eva's father hollered her uncle's name.

Edward grinned mischievously before handing his niece the chip, revealing that it was a NetNavi data chip, "His name's Bass. EXE. He's special, different from other Navis. Also, blood pressure, Nick."

That last part was to the scientist, whose face was becoming red from anger. With a deep breath, Nicholas looked at his daughter with an unknown expression on his face.

"Be careful around him. He's… unnatural, to say the least."

* * *

That night, Eva sat on her bed, looking at the Navi data chip her uncle gave her. There was no image of the Navi, just the name of the Navi in gold and dark purple with a lighter purple swirled in the background. The golden-blonde twirled the data chip around in her fingers while her PET rested in her other hand. There was a placid smile on her lips, feeling very calm for some odd reason. Her father's' words echoed in her head as she slipped the chip in and downloaded it, her smile never slipping from her face. Bass appeared on her PET screen, looking around at his surroundings with a slightly lost expression on his face. Eva's smile grew a bit, finding the Navi's reaction kind of amusing.

"Hi..."

Her voice caught his attention, a mischievous crooked smile appearing almost as soon as his eyes met hers'. Between the grin and the adventurous look in his blood red eyes, the once proper young girl suddenly felt like her whole life was about to take a 180.

"Hey yourself."

Sneak-peek: Chapter 2- Burn, Baby, Burn

"Can I see him?!"

"You know, you really need to learn to hold your tongue at times."

"There's a man in a cloak sneaking around behind you. Off to your left."

"Vanishing World!"

* * *

K, I just want to say somethings. First; Eva's PET colors are white and light red, an inverted version of her uncle's PET colors which just shows how much she cares about him. Second; I've seen that in the Megaman NT Warrior anime that Bass' mouth is hidden by his cloak collar in certain angles a lot. In this fanfic, Bass will always have his mouth visible. It's just in battle when it's pulled over his mouth. Finally, Eva's theme song is When She Cries by Britt Nicole, you'll see why in future chapters. Bye for now! ;)

EDIT; I'm rewriting this but it will be posted on Wattpad (Creamstar234) as a final piece. So think of this as a draft. Bye XD


	3. Chapter 2- Burn, Baby, Burn

Chapter 2- Burn, Baby, Burn

"YOU FINALLY GOT A NAVI?!"

"Oh my gosh..."

Safe from the overactive female his operator was currently speaking with, Bass facepalmed and muttered a few curses behind his hand as he dragged it down his face. 'I severely hope she's not always like this...'

"Yeah, his name's Bass," Eva replied as she walked alongside her best friend on the way to school.

The young blonde wore a more efficient outfit now that she had to bring her battle chips and holder with her. Her white jacket covered most of her light blue, semi two-piece dress, the two pieces connected in the back by two pieces of fabric in the form of an x.

"Can I see him?!" Hannah requested, spinning around to face her friend while walking in front of her.

"I don't think now is a good time," The other female declined, smiling sheepishly at the brunette, "I just got him and seeing you like this might overwhelm him."

"Too late for that."

Too late, her hand flew to her PET, attempting to unsuccessfully muffle the dark Navis' reply to her statement.

"What did he mean by that," The seventh-grader wondered innocently as she brought her face closer to the pocketed PET.

Eva moved a bit away from her friend with a small grimace on her face, her cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment. A bus sitting in front of their school caught her attention and she started forward, startling her long-term friend.

"The bus for the field trip is here. See you later, Han!"

"Huh?" The brunette blinked in surprise then grinned broadly as she waved at the girl's back, "Oh, okay! See you later, Ev!"

"Saved by the bus," The young operator sighed as she climbed into the bus then sat down in a nearby seat.

"Really though..."

The streaked-haired female scowled slightly then pulled out her PET, "You know, you really need to learn to hold your tongue at times."

Bass blinked in surprise, looking much more than a little annoyed at her statement, "I thought I could speak my mind?!"

"Yeah, but some people aren't all that understanding..." The young woman explained exasperatedly, her eyes closed to in an attempt to prevent a headache.

"Then it's their problem!"

"Hey, Eva-vava!"

The golden-blonde looked up at the familiar nickname, grinning up at her other friend as he walked over then sat down next to her, "Arguing with your Navi already?"

"Can't help it. He's been hyperactive with no way to let it out except for the arguing."

"Then I guess it's as good a time Quickman and your Navi to meet as any, don't you think?" Mike suggested with a cheeky grin.

Eva grinned as well, worrying her Navi a bit, "Yeah.~ And his name is Bass."

"Well, there's a jack-in port in every row. Let's jack in while the bus' Cyberspace is empty. Jack-in, Quickman! Power up!"

"Sounds good to me. Jack-in, Bass! Power up!"

Red lights darted out from their PETs and into the jack-in port, Bass and Quickman appearing in the bus's net almost simultaneously. The cloaked Navi looked around his surroundings cautiously while the speedy NetNavi next him to looked him over. The bus' Cyberspace was small, pixelated pillars spread out with blue tiles stretched out before stopping at the edge of the platform.

"HEY!~"

"Ngh!" The darker Navi jumped then turned to the bright red and yellow Navi next to him, "Uh..."

The hyper Navi grinned widely, happy to have a new possible friend. The black and gold Navi cocked his head as the other offered his hand for a shake. After a few moments of nothing happening, the faster fighter decided to break the awkward silence with a joke.

"Didn't your operator teach you to shake?"

"Do I look like a dog Navi to you?..."

"Hey! He speaks!" The red Navi exclaimed with a laugh, "Anyway, Eva said that you had a bit of trouble letting energy out."

Bass sneered then turned away, his body bristling in annoyance. Quickman chuckled softly at the dark Navis' reaction, irritating NetNavis or anyone really was one of his favorite past times.

"You didn't let me finish. They'd figured we'd have a little Netbattle. I'm certainly up for it, you?"

The cloaked Navi turned back to the other and grinned softly, his attitude changing at the proposition of a battle.

* * *

 _"Hehehheheh..."_

 _A darkened out Navi, it's frame feminine, stepped up to a blurred red Navi laying flat on the ground, light glinting off her armor's blades. The defeated Navi groaned lowly in pain, slowly turning his head to look up at her as she stepped over him, ensuring that her next hit would be his last._

 _"Get away from him!"_

 _The female Navi looked up at the voice with a grunt of surprise, leaping away just before Bass's strike cut straight through her._

 _" #% $# $, are you alright," The black and gold Navi questioned, turning to the downed Navi._

 _He smirked softly before pushing himself to his feet, "Yes. You're late, by the way."_

 _"Heh. Sue me._ "

* * *

"Eva, we're here."

Eva slowly opened her coppery-hazel eyes, the power plant very visible from her window view as the bus parked. 'Odd dream… Not that I'm not used to them by now,' The golden-blonde mused to herself, 'But… my dreams were never that cryptic...'

"Hey, Eva! You okay?" Mike looked at his friend in concern, noticing how she did react to the teacher's voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine," The older student responded softly, apart of her mind still on her dream, "Just had another of my cryptic visions."

"Wait, your what?"

The new operator yelped in surprise at her Navis' voice, juggling her PET in her surprise. On the devices' screen, Bass had his fist to his mouth in an attempt not to laugh. Quickman and his operator, however, were not making as strong an attempt.

" _WHEN DID YOU GET BACK?!_"

"We got back half an hour ago. The bus' Cyberspace was getting too crowded," The cloaked Navi explained softly, "What did you mean by 'cryptic visions'?"

"Well, if you really want to know, it's-"

"Complete bullshittery," A female student with stark blue hair in a fancy style interrupted, throwing half her body over the top of the bus seat and scaring both Mike and Eva shitless.

"Dammit, Clarity! Even _I_ don't appear like that," Quickman snapped, just as taken off guard as his operator.

'Why didn't that surprise me as much as the others,' The black Navi wondered, 'Something feels like I faced worse than a little jump-scare… Why though?' Clarity never believed in a higher power or supernatural occurrences, having been raised in an all atheist household. Because of her upbringing and her parents' being of high social standards, the rich girl wouldn't hesitate to make fun of anyone and everyone who believed in that stuff. Eva just so happened to be number one on her list.

"Looks like I'm not the only who has to hold their tongue, huh, Eva?"

The golden-blonde cracked up laughing while the blue-haired girl behind her fumed, having heard everything that the Navi just said. Before the other girl could retaliate, Mr. Marker ordered the students off the bus and to head into the plant. The two friends were one of the first off while Clarity had to wait to be let out. As the students made their way inside, no one noticed the man in a dark cloak and wearing a mask standing behind the bus, holding a PET in his gloved hand that seemed to be glowing with heat.

* * *

"Is this Mr. Markers' class?"

"Yes..."

"Great! Let's make sure we're all here first."

The class stood on a hanging walkway, several machines and workers going about the day. Eva was leaning on the safety rail, more amazed about the height than what was going on down below.

"Geez..." The young girl breathed, a little worried about the long fall since they had _just_ entered the building.

"Geez is right," Bass imputed, just as surprised as his operator, "Wonder why they need so much room?"

"Good question."

"Alright, now stick together and don't wander off. This way now."

The golden-blonde started along with the rest of the students, not noticing the cloaked man slip inside the power plant then head to a staff only door, looking around carefully as he moved. Even though the young operator did not notice the creeper, her Navi certainly did. Focusing solely on the man as he stalked closer to the door, a sort of sixth sense went off, making the dark Navi stiffen in aggression.

"Eva."

At his voice, Eva took her PET out of her coat pocket, raising a brow when she saw him hyper-alert, "What's with you?"

"There's a man in a cloak sneaking around behind you. Off to your left."

Following her Navis' instructions, she turned to see the masked man standing by the 'no entry' staff door before sneaking through the metal door when he thought no one was looking. Her coppery-hazel eyes narrowed with suspicion, coming to a very real conclusion as to why that man was there in that attire.

"I thought employees had to wear uniforms..."

"That's what I was thinking," Bass growled, looking like he was ready for a fight, "Let's go after him."

The golden-blonde nodded then looked up from her personal device, watching as her class walked further and further away. When no one realized that she was gone, she cast a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure no power plant workers were behind her before jogging to the door, slipping in and closing the door quietly. The man in the cloak was all the way down the hallway, walking at a luxurious pace. The young female jogged after him, watching her footsteps and making sure she was being silent as well. Voices and footsteps appeared from a side corridor, forcing the young student to disengage from her pursuit and hide behind several large containers. Luckily for the two partners, the workers passed by without noticing Eva, allowing the pursuit to start up again. However, when she turned the corner, the cloaked man was nowhere to be seen.

"What?!" The blonde yelped in surprise, looking all around for their target, "Where'd he go?! He couldn't have just disappeared!"

"Good question," The black Navi muttered, his eyes cast downwards before flashing back up as an idea came to mind, "Wait! Jack me in, I'll be able to find him easily."

"Right. Now, where is a… There! Jack-in, Bass! Power up!"

* * *

The cloaked Navi appeared in the power plant's net space, a security Navi starting slightly before turning around. Bass gasped softly in surprise, stiffening slightly before disappearing in a white flash, reappearing on top of a pillar high above the security Navis.

"That was close..."

"What happened? Bass?"

"Wasn't prepared to jack in behind a security Navi, that's all," The dark Navi answered, easing her worries, "Just glad I can teleport."

"Alright. Be more careful. Go look around, I'll do the same out here."

He nodded in reply then rose into the air before flying off, making sure his shadow didn't pass over any security Navis. After a few moments, sirens started going off and the background of the net space turned a deadly shade of red. Startled, the black and gold Navi teleported to a pixelated pillar, wondering briefly if any of the other Navis had noticed him. A security Navi yelling in pain before getting jacked out caught his attention, revealing that the culprit for the alarms was a large swarm of viruses. 'Should I help them?' Bass wondered as he watched the security Navis struggle with the mixed variety of viruses, 'I really shouldn't blow my cover but they're clearly over their heads down there...' As the battle slowly began to escalate, two or three Navis got deleted, forcing the lone Navis' hand.

Eva turned away from the jack-in port and walked down the hallway the cloaked man disappeared in. After a few minutes of wandering and occasional hiding from plant workers, the sounds of a fight caught her attention, prompting her to pick her pace up to a quick jog. She stopped in front of an open door in time to see a young adult female be thrown into a wall not far from the door, the force of the blow leaving a rather sizable dent.

"Insignificant foul!" The masked man taunted as he approached the fallen female, not noticing the golden-blonde child crouch down behind the door frame, "Did you honestly believe that you alone could stop one of World Three's best operatives?!"

"It was worth a goddamn try!" The raven-haired female spat back, crying out in pain when his foot struck her ribs, the cracking and grinding of bones filling the air.

"Some try," The cloaked man chuckled darkly as he pressed his weight onto her broken ribs.

'Bastard,' Eva cursed in her head before making her way into the room slowly. There was hammer she had noticed under a table nearby. If she could get to it, the arrogant asshole hurting that women would be on the ground dead asleep. She just had to get there without being noticed. Easier said than done. Almost as soon as she was inside the room, the lady's eyes were on her, her eyebrows furrowing together in confusion as to how an elementary student snuck into an employee's only area. Confused, the World Three member turned to see what the downed Netbattler was looking at. The new operator lunged forward and grabbed the hammer as she somersaulted back to her feet then rose quickly and threw the hammer in one fluid motion. The masked man twisted around to avoid the hammer, the pointed end of the back of the hammer sinking into his shoulder with the sound of bones breaking and skin tearing apart. Blood splattered on the ground and on the adult woman a little as the cloaked villain screamed in pain, clutching the bloodied hammer with a shaking hand.

Once the weapon was out, he wheeled around on her, his eyes murder, "YOU _WHORE_!"

"Sue me," Eva shot back, throwing a chair at him then looking around for another weapon, "Mind telling me what he's trying to do here?"

It took a few seconds for the wounded female to figure out what the girl was talking about before realizing that she was the one being asked, "He's snuck a World Three Navi in here to blow up the boilers."

"Right. Bass, you got that?"

"That's an affirmative, on my way now," The dark Navi answered before her PET became silent once more.

The young blonde turned her attention back to her masked opponent, her coppery-hazel eyes narrowed dangerously, "Now that that's out of the way..."

* * *

"Thanks for your help," A security Navi thanked the cloaked one, holding his damaged shoulder in pain.

"Don't mention," Bass dismissed, his tone stern but a slight distracted, "Give a warning to one of your superiors, see if they can get an Official down to the boiler."

The security Navi nodded in reply, about to speak again when the ebony Navi vanished in a flash of bright light, "The hell?..."

The cloaked Navi appeared in the boiler's core Cyberspace, a stocky red and yellow Navi with molten lava rocks as a part of his design stood with his back turned to him. The World Three Navi had his hands on the core, smoke rising off both his hands and the core, the latter of which was a bad sign.

"Hehehheh, just a little more and this place goes up in a mushroom cloud! Hehehe," The large Navi laughed maniacally, cut short when the darker Navi decided to make his presence known.

"Only if I allow that to happen..."

Jumping up onto the top of the core's container, the Navi with a tiki mask turned around and glared at Bass, who had an unimpressed expression on his face, "Who are you?!"

"It's Bass. Now, are we going to fight or are you just going to flee and spare me the trouble?"

"Oh-ho-ho!~ Wise guy, huh? Want to know what I do to wise guys?!"

Before the cloaked Navi could react, the enemy threw his hands up and yelled the name of his attack, thick smoke covering a large area in seconds. 'Talk about heat,' The sable Navi thought as he pulled the collar of his cloak up to cover his mouth, feeling the drastic change in temperature. 'Now then… Where are you?...'

"Fire Arm!"

"Dark Arm Blade!"

The two attacks clashed against each other, being wielded like swords, the volcano-themed Navi on the top trying to crush the other while Bass effortlessly held the others' weight up. After a few seconds, the stronger Navi threw the brightly colored Navi away, calling his next attack as two dark purple wheels appeared next to him then rushed forward.

"Smoke Screen!"

The battle area became inefficient to fight in, with the lack of visibility and the extreme heat making it unbearable for the cloaked Navi. He groaned a bit in discomfort then started to rise into the air when a stream of fire hit him in the back. The black Navi cried out in a mix of surprise and pain, hitting the ground with a grunt before leaping back to his feet. His opponent lunged out of the smoke, lashing out with his fiery attack, Bass thrusting the strike away with his dark energy sword before the other Navi disappeared into the dense smoke again. 'I need to get out of here. The smoke obviously doesn't affect him so he has the playing field here.' In a flash of bright light, the ebony Navi appeared above the smoke-filled area, getting a bit of relief from the heat but not a lot. 'Going to have to bring this fight elsewhere,' The dark Navi thought before turning to face the overheating container, his eyes narrowing as a risky idea came to mind, 'No. I need to stop this thing from blowing...'

"Bass? What's going on in there?" Eva's voice caught his attention, a screen appearing in mid-air to his left, "You don't look so good..."

"I'm fine. Focus on what's going out there, I've got this handled," The cloaked Navi dismissed before closing the screen.

With another bright flash, Bass teleported in front of the boiler's core, his hand glowing brightly. Before he could put his plan to action, the World Three Navi appeared out of the smoke again and grabbed both of his arms, smiling sadistically under his mask as the darker Navi screamed in pain, smoke rising off his arms and into the digital air. Pushing the pain down, the independent Navi leaned back then delivered a strong kick to the gut, sending the brighter Navi into the smoke. Taking a deep breath, he rose his glowing hand and narrowed his eyes, readying his strongest attack.

"Vanishing World!"

A white beam of energy shot out, tearing through the thick smoke and incinerating a pillar at least a yard away. Bass slumped as the air around him started to cool already, panting heavily from the strong attack, the power of it having drained a lot of his energy. The stocky Navi lunged at him while swinging his Fire Arm down, throwing the weakened Navi flat on his back as he caught the sword-like attack with his hands. The cloaked Navi kicked the other away, groaning lowly as his feet made contact with the extremely hot armor. The volcano-themed Navi chuckled coldly despite having been thrown away, taking his time as he stalked towards his downed opponent.

"Pathetic! Already you're too tired to continue this fight," He mocked before shrugging, "But I guess that's the purpose of the Smoke Screen. What matters is that you're going to be deleted and there's nothing you can do about it! Heheheheh…."

'Is there?' Bass thought weakly, a pained scowl hidden by his cloak collar, 'But I can't just lay here… Oh, wait.' His scowl twisted into a grin as realization set in. His hands glowed brightly as he pressed them into the tiled ground, his enemies' feet glowing just as brightly. Luckily, the cocky Navi didn't notice the other using Get Ability, still running his mouth as he readied his finishing strike. With very little space between the two, the ebony Navi rose his hand as he yelled out the attacks' name, flames igniting on his arm before a strong stream shot forward, throwing Eruptman away. The cloaked Navi leaned forward, propping himself up with his arms as he summoned his last attack, Hell's Rolling, to finish the fight. Just as the World Three Navi disappeared into deletion, two Official Navis jacked in, both wielding strong looking swords. Seeing that the downed Navi was the only one in the area, they rushed to his aid.

Bass sighed in irritation as the two got closer, not wanting to have to deal with them, "Jack me out, Eva."

"You got it. Come on out."

* * *

After being questioned by the Official Net OPs, making sure that Trish (as Eva found out soon after jacking her Navi out) was being treated, and letting Bass rest, the golden-blonde was allowed to go home and rest herself. Now she laid on her bed, facing her ceiling with her hands behind her head. Her radio was casting out the song "Waiting for the end" by Linkin Park and being covered by Chase Holfelder and Caitlin Linney. The young operator turned her head to face her computer desk, her PET turned off and plugged into the charger. A small smile appeared on her lips, happy to have Bass around. Sure he didn't know when to hold his tongue and liked to argue, could be nasty at times and brushed important stuff off, he was more than just her Navi. He was her partner. And he'd continue to be her partner for many years, and adventures, to come.

Sneak-peek: Chapter 3- We're on the Highway to Hell

"Whhhaaaattt are you doing…?"

"We'll bring him to the other country with us. Once we cross their airspace, we'll kill him."

"-WATCH IT!"

'Trish…?'

* * *

Eruptman. EXE; Stocky red and orange Navi with molten lava rocks on his arms, legs, torso, and back, a Tiki mask covering his face. Passive ability: Boiling Point= His armor is too hot for an opponent to use hand-to-hand combat. Attacks: Fire Arm= Fire wraps around the entire arm then shoots it out in a strong burst. Smoke Screen= Not only does it cover a wide area but makes the area unbearably hot for the opponent, making it hard for the opposing Navi to focus.

Keep in mind that Bass is just starting out with fighting experienced enemies, so he's not going to be as unbeatable as CapCom's Bass. But you'll see a big change in this as the story continues. Also, I'd love for you guys and girls to leave a review and let me know hwat you think and what I can change. Bye for now! ;)


	4. Chapter 3- We're on the Highway to Hell

Chapter 3- We're on the Highway to Hell

Things had changed after Eva and her Navi Bass intervened in World Three's plan at the power plant. Mr. Marker brought her outside during class to find out why she disrespected him so much one day, finding out that she disrespected him because he got her held back twice and that she disrespected her as well. After a bit more talking, he agreed to keep her after class for extra teaching so she could go to the grade she was supposed to be in by next year. Clarity got off her back after hearing that the golden-blonde had saved them all but not all the changes were good ones. Nicholas had grounded her for a week after finding out what she did. Fast-forward to the present, a week after the incident, with Eva sitting at her desk in the back, Bass jacked into the school cyberspace with the other Navis in the class. With him on one of the platforms was his friend Quickman, the two being the only ones on the blue platform while others were grouped together or secretly Netbattling.

"No matter how many times I'm jacked-in here, I'm still amazed by the size of the school's cyberspace," The dark Navi muttered, half talking to himself and half talking to Quick.

"Yeah," The stream-lined Navi sighed as he flopped onto the tiled ground and got comfy, "This place is great. You can do anything here, including relax."

The cloaked Navi blinked then turned to his friend, scrunching up his nose once he saw the position the lithe Navi was in, " _Whhhaaaattt_ are you doing…?"

"What does it look like? Relaxing," The red and yellow Navi replied naturally, not realizing what he meant, "I don't always run around and spar, you know.~"

"Could've fooled me…."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

* * *

Outside the school, a beat up, old pickup truck pulled in slowly then parked purposely behind two large jeeps. A few minutes later, two cop cars whizzed past the school, their lights and sirens going as they continued their high-speed pursuit. The men inside the beat up vehicle waited a bit longer before getting out and heading into the school.

"Which kid do we want," One of the men asked, slightly shorter than the one in front of him.

The first guy didn't answer right away, walking into the reception area then quickly pulling out his silenced gun and putting a bullet in the lady's head before she could alarm the whole school, a quiet pop going off once he pulled the trigger, "His name's Cale Russo. His father runs an important trading business. We get him and everyone will let us walk away scot-free."

"Will we really let him go after we get on the plane?"

"PFFT! Course not, they'll just shoot us down once the boy is safe," The pistol-wielding criminal slipped around to the other side of the desk then jacked his Navi in, getting the info he wanted almost in an instant, "We'll bring him to the other country with us. Once we cross their airspace, we'll kill him."

The second criminal nodded and followed his partner as he jacked his Navi out and put his gun away.

* * *

As class was ending, Eva suddenly found a folded note on her desk, black with yellow lining the edges. The same colors as Quickman's emblem, giving the young blonde a very good clue as to who sent her the note. Opening the folded paper, the words inside made her snort a bit in amusement, a small grin finding a way on her face.

 _They're at it again. ~Mike_

Looking back up, the older student easily pinpointed her friend, who had twisted around in his seat as he looked back at her for her response. Pointing to the front, she mouthed that she figured as much then told him to turn back around. The younger male rolled his eyes playfully then turned all the way around, just to spite her. 'Your funeral,' She mouthed again, gesturing forward with her head as she smirked. Confused, Mike turned his head to see Mr. Marker standing in front of his desk with his arms crossed.

"Yes, Mr. Wall, we all know that you and Eva are close friends but passing love notes is for out of class."

Despite the stern tone in the teachers' voice, several students started snickering at the 'love notes' part, knowing that he joking slightly. The operator of Quickman grinned sheepishly before turning all the way back around, sitting properly as the fifth-grade teacher walked over to the young blonde with red bangs and held his hand out. Not missing a beat, Eva placed the crudely cut 4-by-4 paper while explaining the real reason for the note. As Mr. Marker made his way back to the front, the lock-down alarm went off, followed shortly by the doors locking by themselves and a shield sliding down the windows. A few students stood up and started panicking, as a drill was not planned for the day. Bass' operator stood up herself, her coppery-hazel eyes narrowed as she quickly came to the conclusion that her little involvement at the power plant had put the those close to her in danger. Her hand slipped discreetly into her desk and her fingers wrapped around her lightly colored PET, ready to jack her Navi out at a moments' notice.

"Attention students and all personal," An adult male's voice came through the com-system, though it most certainly wasn't the principal speaking, "This is Otaru's Police Chief speaking. We have set up the lockdown procedures as two deadly criminals have broken into the school. No one is to go out of the classrooms as one or both of the criminals are highly armed. Again, please remain inside the classrooms for your own safety and the safety of those around you. Thank you."

The Chief's announcement had done little to none to calm the student's nerves, some breaking down into tears while others became angry and started demanding to be let out. 'Someone's going to get hurt if this keeps up,' The golden-blonde thought calmly, though her adrenaline was starting to climb from the havoc in the room.

"EVERYONE, SHUT UP!" Mike yelled, standing up on his chair to bring more attention to himself, "' _Lockdown procedures_ ' he said. So, let's do what we were taught to do since we got here. Come on, we're in fifth-grade, panicking and crying are for babies. Grow up!"

With that said, the young operator hopped off his chair then made his way to the back, others following him after a brief moment of hesitation. Eva slipped from her seat and joined her friend down on the floor, looking into her PET screen at her alert Navi.

"Bass-"

"I heard," The dark Navi interrupted, turning to face the screen with a solemn expression on his face, "Where would two armed criminals go to hideout here?"

"That would be the cafeteria on the second floor, it's easily defendable with only two double set doors being the only ways in or out."

* * *

"Right," Bass turned away from the screen to his friend, who had jumped onto his feet at the alarms and entered a hyper-alert state, "You coming?"

Quickman nodded his head before transing to the second-floor Cyberspace. The cloaked Navis' operator told him to be careful before he transported to the second floor as well, the lean Navi waiting for him when he arrived. It looked like the girls' theory was correct, three Heel Navis standing guard in front of the cafeteria's Net space, the doors locked as per lockdown procedures. Wanting to check to be sure it wasn't a diversion, the black Navi walked up to a nearby security camera and hacked into it before switching to the cafeteria's camera, instantly not liking what he saw.

" _Shit..._ "

"What? What is it," The red Navi questioned quickly as he walked up to his friend's side, "That word is never good to hear, especially not in a situation like this."

"Take a look," Bass growled as he brought the camera footage up for the other Navi to see as well.

"Crap… Mike, we've got a problem."

"What is it," His operator asked as a screen appeared next to the stream-lined Navi.

"They've got a hostage, kid looks like a fourth or fifth-grader."

"It's Cale Russo, a rather popular guy in the fourth-grade because of his father," The cloaked Navi stated as a screen popped up next to him as well, his operator's face on it with an oddly calm expression on her face, "No doubt they grabbed him knowing the police wouldn't _dare_ shoot an important businessman's child."

Eva nodded, dismissing the tone of annoyance in her Navis' voice, "Alright, I'll inform Mr. Marker, he can contact the police faster than we can."

With that, the screen next to him winked out, leaving the two alone as Mike's screen closed as well. Quickman sent the darker Navi a questioning look, wondering what they were to do now that they knew about the hostage.

"Go take out the three lacky-Navis while I get the doors open."

"You sure? Won't they harm the boy if we do something?"

"They definitely will if we do nothing," Bass replied with a bit of a snap in his voice, his eyes flashing in annoyance, "You're providing a distraction while I get the doors open so the police can take over."

"Ohhh.~ A prolonged fight," The faster Navi realized with a nod, "Gotcha. Later!"

The black Navi watched the other runoff as his cloak blew in the wake of his wind before teleporting to the first set of double doors, raising his hand and hacking into the doors' mechanics as fighting went on near him. His hands were barely on the holographic keypad for ten seconds when a sudden pain struck his side and most of his upper leg. A strangled cry of pain escaped his lips before he twirled around to face his opponent… only to find that no one was there. Confused, the independent Navi at first thought it as from a stray blast from the fight nearby but immediately dismissed it, the wound being on the wrong side for that to happen. The next thing Bass knew, he was thrown harshly into the opposite wall by an invisible force. Looking around, the dark Navi suddenly saw a flicker, like light glitzing off of metal. Creating his Dark Arm Blade, he attacked where he last saw his offender, the tip of his attack just about nicking the invisible opponent before he was kicked away.

"Show yourself, coward!" The cloaked Navi snarled into the air, startling his ally, who stopped and looked at him like he was crazy before continuing his fight with the three Heel Navis.

A low chuckle met the injured Navis' ears before his blood red eyes finally caught sight of his large opponent. With what looked like furry armor on his shoulders, forearms and lower legs, the wolfish Navi also had a wolf head and tail, which moved freely. The animalistic Navi had furry mitts that looked like that couldn't do any damage at all. The wound on Bass' right side would prove otherwise.

"Who are you?!" He growled, his other arm transforming into his Fire Arm, "And how were you invisible? Are you that fast?"

"My name is Howlerman," The enemy answered, his rumbling voice making it sound like he was growling as well, "And all though I am indeed fast, I can not move as quickly as your friend. What I do is what humans call 'cloaking'."

"Well, let me show you what I can do," The darker Navi growled before vanishing in a flash of bright light, re-appearing behind the gruesome Navi before shoving both his Dark Arm Blade and his Fire Arm into the other's back, "Mine's called ' _teleporting_ '..."

Bass violently tore through Howlerman, his body disappearing into deletion within seconds. Sighing softly, the cloaked Navi disengaged his weapons then turned back to hacking the doors open.

* * *

Eva sighed softly as well, lowering her PET as she tilted her head back in relief. While he had been injured, at least he wasn't on the ground in pain and practically unable to move. It was a big difference from last week but things could change easily. The thought of going to a Netbattling arcade to let the cloaked Navi practice a little sounded great to her, but now was not the time to be thinking about that. The golden-blonde opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling for a few seconds then brought her head back down.

"Bass has unlocked the cafeteria's doors and subdued one of the criminal's Navi," She reported, her voice a little shaky from adrenaline, "Quickman is deleting Heel Navis as we speak."

Mr. Marker nodded at the information before relaying it to the Chief of Police. A few minutes later, Cale Rasso was safe in his father and mother's arms, the criminals who held him captive on their way to a maximum security prison. The school was let out early due to the commotion and kids were comforted by their parents who were waiting for them out in the school's parking lot. At the moment, Eva and Mike were walking home, Hannah not with them as she was comforting her little sister with her parents.

"That… was by far the most grueling thing ever," Bass grumbled within the blonde's PET, irritated that he had to face a relatively difficult enemy for a very petty reason in his book.

"Maybe," His operator began, grabbing her personal device and looking at the screen, "But we did save a life and put two criminals behind bars."

"Yeah, a life. We saved much more lives last week."

The golden-blonde smiled and glanced at her friend as the cloaked Navi continued to complain. On the highway not far away, a car's tires screeched against pavement but the two paid no mind, used to it as both have lived near a highway their whole lives. However, neither had watched the news that day, nor had they listened to rumors in school. As the two started to cross the street, a speeding car lost control and turned down the off-ramp towards them with no access to brakes.

"I also didn't like how he- _WATCH IT!_ "

A car horn went off right after his warning, both throwing the new operator into her 'fight-or-flight' instincts. Her hand flew to Mike's shoulder and clutched his clothing as her feet left the pavement, pulling him along with her as they dove to the other side of the road, the out-of-control vehicle entered a barrel-roll where they had been standing before crashing into the side of a building. Eva stared with wide eyes at the limp and bloodied hand hanging lifelessly out of the window. Bloody pieces of windshield were scattered on the grass and road around the crash site, several people starting to crowd to see what the hell happened. Back on the highway, another car lost control, slamming into the concrete barrier before bursting into a ball of flame a few seconds later.

"Two car crashes right after another _can't_ be a coincidence," Bass growled, a car losing control but quickly regaining it as he spoke, "Feels like World Three to me."

"That's what I was thinking," The golden-blonde growled back as she struggled to her feet, Mike rolling off her back to let her get up, "Let's check it out."

"Sounds good."

"Be careful," Quickman's operator called after the young female as she ran across the road to the highway.

The girl trudged down the slope to the somewhat marshy ground underneath the raised highway, jumping the rest of the way down and landing with a muddy splash. Above her, another car lost control, slamming into the burning wreckage then flipping up and over both the destroyed car as well as the cement barrier. Eva froze to watch the damaged car miraculously land on its wheels, the driver only looking like he was unconscious. After a few seconds, the car started to tip. The golden-blonde cursed before running off again as the car started rolling down towards her, crashing into one of the support beams with a loud thud and a big splash.

"How far is the closest bunch of police on the scene," She asked, glancing down at her light PET quickly.

"Not far, actually," Bass answered easily, bringing up a map on the devices' screen, "There's a group of police cruisers up a bit, almost like they're forming a barricade."

His operator nodded in reply before yelping as another crash brought down some debris from above. She cursed again, diving out of the way then rising to her feet and racing towards the police line. After a few seconds, the cloaked Navi told her to stop, loud voices and orders being given were barely heard above her. Wanting to hear them better, Eva started out from under the highway, stopping before her feet touched the light.

"... not accidents. Sabotage."

"Viruses?"

"Possibly. Or World Three..."

"Chief! It's confirmed that the accidents are being caused by a NetNavi!"

"Really now?..." The girl with red bangs hummed softly before looking at the PET in her hand with a smirk, "Sounds like this is the part where we step in.~"

"I'm certainly up for another match," The jet black Navi replied with a grin, "There's a jack-in port near you. To your left."

The young blonde nodded in response then turned her head and found the port almost instantly. Raising her arm to point her PET at the port, she jacked Bass in, a red light shooting out of the device and into the port.

"Alright, it's going to take me a bit to track him. Let you know when I find him."

"And I'll let you know when I find the NetOP," Eva replied before putting her personal device back in her pocket.

'Really going to need to invest in a PET and chip belt,' The golden-blonde thought with a kink of her head, walking off when tires screeching on pavement behind caught her attention. Moving back to the edge, she listened in to the commotion above, her brow furrowing as one or two cops complained about an Official Netbattler being late. 'I wouldn't mind an Official backing me up, regardless of what time he or she chooses to show up,' The young operator thought, somewhat annoyed at the two 'men' as she walked further into the shadows, 'Can't speak for Bass though...' As she continued searching for the enemy's operator, a familiar sight caught her attention. Suspicious, the young female took her PET out and walked forward a bit to make sure she wasn't mistaken. Sure enough, the highly revealing outfit of the Netbattler she met just last week was clear as day, the owner not even trying to hide.

'Trish…?'

* * *

' _There_ you are…~'

Bass stood a pixelated pillar in an out-of-control car's Cyberspace, looking down at a red-orange Navi with bombs in his shoulder guards surrounded by several types of viruses but none of them attacking it. It didn't take nearly as long as he had thought it would be to track the World Three Navi, didn't clean its cyber steps from the last cars it forced to crash. In fact, it only really took a minute or two, unlike the five or six minutes he had originally thought. 'Well,' The cloaked Navi thought with a sigh as he crouched down, ready to pounce, 'Might as well te-' Almost as soon as he crouched down, his back stiffened and he shot back up, his blood red eyes narrowed cautiously. 'Someone just jacked-in...' The independent fighter wandered a few steps away from his spot, looking around for the power he just felt enter the car's Cyberspace. A flash of red out of the corner of his eye caught his attention but when he turned his head to get a better look, no one was there. Chucking it up to a virus, Bass turned back to the destructive Navi and contacted his operator, her face appearing on a screen to his left.

"I found the World Three NetNavi."

"Alright," Eva muttered, slightly distracted as she looked away from the screen at something, "Because I think I just found its operator."

"I'll let you deal with it," The dark Navi closed the screen then looked around with his eyes narrowed, swearing that he could feel eyes on him, "Okay... Not a virus like I thought..."

In a flash of bright light, the cloaked Navi appeared behind a pillar the closest to the bomb-theme Navi. Forming the Fire Arm on his left, he started forward then stopped dead mid-step, raising his foot a bit higher to see a lump in the tiled ground. 'Mines...' The jet black Navi huffed in amusement quietly, a small smile on his lips, 'Clever. But not clever enough.' Bass teleported behind the World Three Navi then grabbed his shoulder and threw him into the mines a little ways back.

"Life Aura," The darker fighter mumbled before turning to the car's main computer and placing his free hand on it to bring the car back under control.

A bomb appeared in front of him followed shortly by another bomb to his left and right. Before he could react, the bombs went off, covering the area in a thick smoke. 'That would be handy to have,' The cloaked fighter thought with a kink of his head before teleporting behind his opponent again then grabbed him in a shoulder lock, keeping the other Navi from free movement with his arms.

"Hey!" The bomb-themed Navi yelped, struggling to get out of the hold, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Eh, just liked that attack," Bass replied casually, shrugging his shoulders, "So I thought I'd copy it. Consider it a compliment.~"

"I'll consider it as stealing! Let me go!"

"Hehehehaha! Stealing?!" The darker Navi released Bombman, letting the enemy put distance between the two while he slumped over laughing, "Hehe… That's funny.~ Clearly, you don't know how Get Ability works. Let me show you..."

Two simple words and three bombs appeared around the lighter fighter before exploding, throwing him several feet away. The independent Navi hummed softly, somewhat surprised by the power of the attack before teleporting back to the car's main computer, hacking into it and getting the vehicle under control within seconds. 'Whew,' The ebony fighter thought with a sigh, 'Just in time too, felt like the car was about to crash.'

"Stealth Mine!"

"Huh?" Confused, he turned to Bombman, a bit surprised to see him standing after the previous attack.

Beeping caught his attention, the tile under his feet flashing a bright red before exploding. Bass flew a few feet then tumbled a bit more before using the momentum to get back to his feet. His Life Aura flickered around him before dying out, not that he was concerned about it. The red-orange Navi used the smoke to charge straight at his enemy, a very bad idea. The cloaked fighter growled lowly before summoning his Dark Arm Blade, throwing his arm up and slicing through the World Three Navis' right leg, right arm and a part of his right side.

"I'm _done_ playing around..." The black Navi growled as Bombman tumbled head over heels behind him, "You better _hope_ your operator jacks you out..."

* * *

Trish smirked as she looked down at her PET as her Navi caused several beautiful crashes, a few of which exploded which was music to her ears. Her smile faltered at a familiar voice, looking up to see Eva walking through the shadows towards her, a white and light red PET held lightly in her hand. Thinking quickly, the raven-haired woman hid her personal device behind her back before greeting the younger female with a forced grin.

"Didn't expect to see you again so soon…. Uh, so! What are you… doing here?..."

The golden-blonde grunted in reply, pretending to be uninterested in the older women as she turned her back on her, raising her light device to watch as Bass fought a bomb-themed Navi, "Same as you, I suppose. Nice to see those _injuries_ healed well..."

The short-haired female nodded in reply, waiting for the girl to say something else while her smile started to make the silence feel even more awkward. After a few more seconds of nothing happening, Trish started to sneak away when the younger operator spoke up, her words making the senior operator freeze in her tracks.

"You know… a few acting classes never hurt anyone..."

"Uh," Startled, and slightly confused, the woman turned her head to look back at the blonde, "Pardon?"

"You don't act very well caught off guard," The young female sighed as she set her PET on the ground then stood back up, her back still turned to her enemy, "But you did well when it's planned… You need to work on that."

"What are you blabbering about?!" The dark-haired female snapped, her navy eyes glaring at Eva coldly, "You're not making _any_ sense!"

The golden-blonde scowled then finally turned to face the older female, her coppery-hazel eyes narrowed in annoyance, "I'm _really_ going to have to spell it out for you, _aren't I_? Fine. I _know_ that the fight at the power plant was set up, just like I know that you're a World Three operative and that the Navi Bass is fighting is yours. I've already sent the police that I found the one responsible for these accidents, so there's nowhere for you to run."

Trish blinked in surprise before her expression quickly turned to anger then lunged at the younger female, unshielding the switchblade in her front pocket and lashing out with it, "You _BITCH_!"

'What is it with people today and weapons?' The smaller female thought in annoyance as she dodged the knife slashes, leading the World Three member out and into the open, 'Do they honestly not know how to fight without one?' The "battle" continued like this, dodging with a few swipes being thrown in from the one relinquishing ground. Soon enough, the two were out from under the highway, at which Trish became frustrated and lunged at the girl, pinning her to the ground.

"Hah! Now I got you! Some fighter you are," The older woman explained, an accomplished grin on her face.

"Look who's talking," Eva replied evenly, her eyes still narrowed, "Besides, I wasn't trying to fight you, I was trying to get your mind off the battle in the Cyberworld."

"Wha…?" Confused, the dark-eyed female looked over her shoulder to see her PET sitting on the muddy ground a little ways back, most likely having been dropped during the skirmish, "AH- Quick, Bombman, jack-out!"

The golden-blonde used the distraction to grab the side of the older woman's face and shove it into the ground, rolling quickly to give the blow more force. The marshy ground wasn't exactly perfect for knocking someone out, but it did the trick. Muddied, the younger female pushed the limp body of the World Three member off then climbed to her feet, careful not to place her hands near the switchblade which had fallen not far from the two. Once on her feet again, she walked back to her personal device, picking up Trish's' as well as she passed. The white and light red PET laid on a virtually clean rock, the young operator having placed it there before the fight so the mud and brackish water wouldn't damage it.

"Bass? How are you holding up," The blonde asked as she picked the device up and dusted it off.

"Been better," Was his reply, sounding a bit distracted, "Just give me a sec to get this car under control and then I'll- there we go. Alright, I'm ready."

"Alright, jack-out Bass."

"Hello, young lady," A gruff, adult male voice greeted from behind her, startling Eva a bit, "You the one who gave us that tip?"

The girl turned slightly and nodded her head silently, recognizing the Chief of police as the one who spoke. He nodded in reply then started forward, his hands in his pockets casually. Once he was within reaching distance, the Chief stuck out his hand while introducing himself, the golden-blonde accepting the greeting while introducing herself as well.

"You know, you're a clever girl," Chief Whistler started as he placed his hand back in his pocket, a soft smile on his face, "Distracting your opponents' operator while your Navi is fighting. I also like your sense of duty. Saw you jump at the chance to save lives after saving your friend."

"If I can be rude for a second," Bass interrupted, irritation clear in his tone, "Where the hell is this going?"

" _Bass..._ " Eva breathed, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment lightly.

"It's okay, young lady," The older male reassured with an undertone of amusement in his voice, "I had a Navi with the same attitude as yours when I was younger. As for your question, young man, I'd like you two to come down to the station. There, we can fix you up and your operator can clean herself up."

The jet black Navi grimaced at the 'young man' part, not sure how to take it when Eva spoke up, interrupting his thought process as she agreed with the Chief. The two humans made their way to the police cruiser, the young female taking off her blazer before getting in to prevent muddying the Chief's seats any more than she already was, while the cloaked Navi resentfully rested in the girls' PET.

Above them, leaning over the concrete barrier, stood the Official on the scene, his light blue eyes watching the blonde as she entered the passenger side of the vehicle. After a few seconds of silence, his Navi wondered if they were going to follow them from the red and gold PET in the Officials' belt. He didn't answer right away, turning away from the barrier and making his way to his limo.

* * *

'Good thing I packed extra clothes in my bag,' Eva thought as she stepped out of the women's locker room, now wearing a light grey dress coat with a flared white top and black dress pants, 'Wonder why men complain when women do this? Then complain again when their girl is messy...' The golden-blonde smiled softly as she shook her hair out, trying to get rid of any water droplets remaining from her shower, 'Talk about bipolar.~' The young operator greeted the numerous officers that passed her as she fixed her outfit while walking down the hallway. The research lab on the other side of the building was where the station was repairing her stubborn Navi, who repeatedly refused to be helped, finally relenting when his operator handed her PET to the lead researcher.

Now her lightly-colored device rested in the charger while the repairing program fixed the dark Navi up, repairing the halfway-healed wound on his side he got from Howlerman. As she passed a one-sided window with two detectives standing in front of it, the occupant inside the room beyond caught her attention, making her stop in her tracks to get a better look. In the dark, solemn interrogation room, Trish sat with her wrists cuffed to the table, a detective and an officer sitting across from her. Two more officers stood at the far end of the room, in case the dark-haired criminal tried anything. Eva furrowed her brows, seeing as that both the detective and the officer next to him were frustrated while the navy eyed female sat comfortably, a cocky smirk of her relaxed face. It looked like whatever information they were trying to get out of her was failing.

"What kinds of methods are they using," The young blonde wondered, tilting her head up slightly to look at the detective next to her, who glanced down at her before redirecting his gaze back to the dark room.

"Your usual interrogation techniques; threats, good cop-bad cop, playing _nice_ … Nothing seems to be working. We might have to call it off for today and let her simmer in a jail cell for a bit."

The golden-blonde hummed softly in reply, turning her head to look into the room, where the detective and officer were looking pissed off now while Trish's smirk had transformed into a flat-out grin, "Perhaps I could give a hand?..."

The detective next to her blinked in surprise while the other detective looked over at her, a knowing smirk on his slightly aged face. His hair had started to grey while the corners of his eyes and mouth had the beginnings of Crows' Feet.

"You're the one who stopped her from creating even more damage and panic, aren't you," He asked, getting a nod from the younger female, "You really think you can get her to talk?"

"Just got to give her a false feel of control," Eva replied, turning her head again to meet the senior detective's gaze steadily, "And I think I have a pretty good idea on how to go about that..."

The older detective nodded in reply then turned and started walking over, waving over his shoulder for her to follow. As they walked, the detective briefed her on what they were trying to find out and let her know how important it was to get that information. Finally, they arrived at the door that lead to the interrogation room, two strong officers standing guard. One greeted the older man respectfully then wondered why the girl was with him, getting an answer neither of the two liked.

"Are you insane?!" The slightly shorter one snapped, his light eyes giving the older male a death glare.

"She's a civilian," The other one growled, glaring down at the kid, obviously having more than one problem with this new situation.

The golden-blonde squared her shoulders and met his glare head-on, her strange eyes becoming icy as her eyes narrowed. They held their gaze unblinkingly before the larger human looked away, sweating slightly as he fidgeted.

"Are you questioning my decision?" The old detective growled, glaring at the smaller guard as well, "Need I remind you who is the higher rank here?!"

Both officers ducked their heads in response then stepped aside, letting the two inside. Eva stayed by the door while the detective explained to the other officers in the room quietly, Trish trying her best to listen in but failing. 'She hasn't even looked over here,' The young female though in bewilderment, a brow raised in confusion, 'You'd think that a criminal would be eager to escape and-' Her trail of thought was interrupted when the older detective waved her over while the two former interrogators left the room, smiling softly at her as they passed. The golden-blonde nodded in greeting before heading over to the table. The dark-haired woman's eyes widened in surprise at seeing the young operator again so soon but her surprise quickly disappeared, her cocky smirk back on her face.

"Long time no see," She greeted the younger woman, she sat calmly in the opposite chair, "I see you don't have your PET with you. Ditch that overpowered player?~ Heheheh..."

"This isn't about me," Eva replied evenly, crossing her legs and leaning back as she placed her folded hands on her lap, "This is about you. What can you tell me about yourself?"

"PFFT! HEHAHA! Wrong question! Didn't the police order you to ask me about World Three's next target?"

"Oh they did," The young operator replied, leaning forward slightly as her calm expression never left her face, "But I want to know about you. So, you going to answer my question?"

Trish's smile fell as she blinked, realizing that she wasn't kidding, "Okaayy…. What do you want to know in particular?"

"When did you first get Bombman? You seem close to him."

"Heh. I actually got him when I was four. He was my birthday present from my mom, before she had a really bad breakdown. I was one of the few kids in my class with a Navi so young," The older woman smiled softly as she reminisced.

The girl smiled softly as she knew she was starting to break through the World Three members' walls, "That's good. If we can step into the World Three topic really quick, what are the main reasons why someone would join World Three?"

"Um… A number of reasons, really. The main reasons though… let me think… I suppose that one of them is power, money, free-rein for destruction, the like. How does this tie in with _me_?"

"Because I want to know why _you_ joined that terrorist organization," The golden-blonde faked a sympathetic look, moving her clenched hands up to her mouth.

Dark blue eyes blinked again in surprise, not expecting that response, "For me, it was the fact that I could do lots of destruction with little instructions. Not like my old job as a demolition."

Ea hummed softly, a soft, clever smile hidden behind her hands, "And, by the chance Bass and I _hadn't_ stopped you two, where would your next target be?"

The raven-haired terrorist smiled softly as she leaned back, not realizing that she was completely caught up in a trap, "Actually, I was to join Count Zap and one other in the unveiling part happening tomorrow. IT'S GOING TO BE SO-!"

Trish's eyes widened as she cut herself off, at the same time, the young Netbattler rose her seat with a satisfied smirk, her coppery-hazel eyes half-closed smugly, "I believe that's what I came here for. Thank you, you've been _very_ cooperative…~"

The World Three member quickly leapt out of her seat, getting the guards' attention, and snarled curses as well as insults to the girl's retreating back. After a few minutes spent speaking with the detective that brought her to the interrogation room, she went off to retrieve her PET and her Navi along with it. Upon entering the research lab, however, she could tell that the cloaked fighter was not as happy as she was. It was easy to see Bass arguing with a research assistant from where she stood, the lead researcher standing off to the side while struggling not to laugh at what was developing in front of him.

"Bass, enough," Eva laughed softly as she crossed the room, a flush on her cheeks from slight embarrassment, "You're going to give the poor guy a headache. Hhehehe..."

"What the _hell_ took you so long?!" The jet black Navi snapped, his teeth clenched in anger as he whipped around to face her.

"Took a quick detour to the interrogation room," The young blonde explained as she grabbed her personal device, her grinning becoming smug as she thought back to what transpired only a few minutes ago, "And tricked Trish into revealing World Three's next target.~"

That instantly changed his mood, the cloaked fighter throwing back his head as he laughed. The girl's grin became wider as her pride swelled, for some reason taking the Navis' approval to heart greatly. Her smile faded a bit at the same time the ebony Navi started to calm down, though he was still laughing at her news.

"Ah, should have came to get me real quick before you went. Would've _loved_ to see that bitch's expression," He chuckled, an undertone of sadistic longing in his voice, "Anyway, are we going home now?"

"Not yet, no. We have to meet with the Chief first, though I'm sure we _both_ know what he's going to say."

"Tch. Yeah. 'Best to leave this to the professionals, stay out of trouble' and all that jazz," Bass huffed in amusement and leaned against a green info panel as he crossed his arms, "A _bit_ too late for that."

The golden-blonde giggled softly behind her hand as she walked down the hallway, quickly side-stepping to avoid running into someone who was walking the opposite way. Though, something caught her attention, something on the guy's vest. Eva stopped in her tracks then turned to get a better look at the guy's retreating back as he turned the corner. She didn't get a chance to really look at him but she did see the Official badge on his sleeve before he vanished from view.

"What's up? Your attitude changed suddenly."

The Navis' voice from her PET brought her back to reality and she started her trip to the Chief of police's office up again, "Nothing, really… Just noticed something out of place, that's all."

* * *

After an hour or so, the two left the Chiefs' in slight bewilderment. Unlike what they had originally believed, the Chief had asked them to be on standby in case the World Three was truly going to attack the unveiling party.

"We would get you two into the party," He had said, "But the party is invitation-only. Police take second- if not- last priority, unfortunately."

'Weird,' Eva thought as she made her way back home, her hand to her mouth in deep thought, 'Why would something so important as an unveiling party be putting protect last?...' Several reasons crossed her mind but she tossed each one almost as soon as they came. Bass remained quiet in her PET, somewhat thinking of the same thing but focused more so on their surroundings, the events of the day making him paranoid and anxious. So it was no wonder why he jumped when the girl's personal device beeped as it received an email. 'Oh for the _love of-!_ ' The cloaked Navi growled lowly as he opened the mail, his expression quickly becoming one of confusion as he read, 'What in…?'

"Hey, Eva."

The golden-blonde didn't listen as she continued to walk, passing her house for the third time.

"Eva..."

Still no luck. 'Dammit, girl, _PAY ATTENTION!_ '

"HEY, EARTH TO EVALINCE! EMAIL FOR YOU!"

That did the trick. The young operator nearly tripped head over heels at the yell before catching herself quickly then grabbed her PET as a sheepish smile slipped on her face.

"Sorry, I guess I was too deep in thought. Ehheheh..."

"You guess," The jet black Navi asked incredulously before shaking his head and waving his hand dismissively, "Bah! Nevermind that! You've got an email. You should really read it..."

Eva rose an eyebrow at his strange insistence before reading the email he had up. Her coppery-hazel eyes widened before narrowing in suspicion, rereading it the short email twice to get an idea on who sent it. To no avail.

 _I saw your battle technique at the highway and your intelligence in the interrogation room. Now I want to know how well you take orders in an extreme environment. Don't worry about getting in, I've put your name on the list along with mine. ~C.B_

'Who on Earth is "C.B"? And how did he get my number?' The golden-blonde wondered as she stood there, just staring at her personal device and the message on the screen, 'What did he mean by "getting in"? And what was that about taking orders?... Could this person be the Official I passed in the police station?... Certainly would explain a lot of these questions… But was he following me? And why?'

"EVALINCE ROSE CHARITY! GET INSIDE NOW!"

The young female jumped at the sound of her father's voice, her hand quickly darting up to her chest as a scowl formed on her lips, "DAD?! THE HELL?! YOU NEARLY GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK!"

"WELL, THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU CAME HOME RIGHT AWAY! NOW GET IN HERE!"

"URGH!"

"Oh just wrap her up in chains and throw her in a dungeon if you're going to be this strict," Bass growled quietly as his operator turned and stomped back to her house.

Sneak-peek: Chapter 4- Suit and Tie

"I'm going to a friends house for a bit, Aunt Katy, I'll be back soon!"

'Useless. And that Official's worried about _us_ getting in the way...'

"Oh, shut up and fight!"

"You two can't hide forever..."

* * *

Howlerman. EXE; Large, wolfish Navi that mainly walks on all fours, standing on two legs makes him a lot taller than most Navis. Passive ability: Ravage Claws= Claws extend just before they hit the opponent's body, making the blow all the more painful. Attack: Panther's Technique= His body will turn invisible for an amount of good time, ensuring any attacks will take the enemy Navi off-guard. Before Eva got Bass, she spent her time in gymnastic classes and self-defense classes so she knows who to fight to an extent. She'll improve on this as Bass improves his fighting style. Also, I'd love for you guys and girls to leave a review and let me know what you think and what I can change. Bye for now! ;)


	5. Chapter 4- Suit and Tie

Chapter 4- Suit and Tie

At barely 5 in the morning, Eva blinked open her eyes, the dawn's light filtering in through her window. Slowly, she sits up then pushes the blankets off her as she gets out of bed. Her bare feet tread almost silently against the carpeted floor as she makes her way to her bathroom to get her day started. Bass woke up as she stepped out of her bathroom in a light pink and dark purple robe, her hair pulled into a messy bun. The golden-blonde stepped up to wardrobe and opened it, casting a glance at the charger on her computer desk when the dark Navi bid the usual morning greeting.

"Morning, Bass," The young operator turned back to her clothes, rummaging for an appropriate outfit that also allowed her to fight, if it came to that, "Did I wake you up?"

"Not really," Her partner replied honestly, watching her search for an outfit with a tint of bewilderment, "What are you doing?"

"Looking for something suitable for an important party but something flexible in case I get in a sticky situation. Like I did the last two times we got in trouble."

The cloaked Navi was silent after this, humming softly in thought as he searched the web. When the silence went on for much longer then she was used to coming from him, Eva looked back at her PET, her brows furrowed in concern.

"You okay, Bass?"

"Mph. I'm fine. Think you can find something similar to this?"

The young blonde turned her attention to her computer as a picture appeared on the screen. The woman had a patterned light jacket thrown over her shoulder and wore a light grey, sleeveless top with blue jeans and black high-heels. She also wore sunglasses, a fancy gold necklace, and a handbag to complete the look. 'I certainly don't need the bag but...' His operator looked into her wardrobe again, her coppery-hazel eyes narrowed in thought, 'I think that could _actually work..._ '

"Yeah," Eva replied as she searched for an outfit that now worked in her mind, "Thanks.~"

"Anytime."

* * *

"I'm going to a friends house for a bit, Aunt Katy, I'll be back soon!"

"Okay, sweetheart, don't be long!~"

'Oh-ho-ho, if _only_ you realized just how long I plan to be out,' Eva thought as she stepped out of her house. She now wore a grey light coat with a light yellow shirt and black dress pants, black flats snug on her feet. She also wore a gold chain-linked necklace with a feather on the end and sunglasses to complete the look. Her light PET rested in the front pocket of her coat, where she could easily get it without having to search. Down the block a ways was a police cruiser, waiting to bring her down the Town Meeting Hall that also worked as a ballroom, for some odd reason. The unveiling party was scheduled to be there, which made sense, it was one of the only buildings with such a large room. The golden-blonde opened the passenger side door then slipped in, crossing her legs as the black and white vehicle drove off. In no time at all, she was standing in front of the large building with a relatively long line in front of her. At least, for her town it was long, it only went passed the bottom step slightly. ' _Don't worry about getting in, I've put your name on the list along with mine…_ If I'm right about this guy being an Official then I should be able to walk right in,' The young female let out a jet of air to calm her nerves then walked passed the line and straight up to the double doors, ignoring the rude comments and insults as she walked passed with her head held high.

"Name and invitation number," The usher requested while looking her up and down disapprovingly.

"Evalince Charity, I was registered alongside another Netbattler," Eva replied without hesitation, keeping her tone calm and steady, "An Official, actually." 'I hope...'

The male hummed disbelievingly in reply then checked the name sheet with half-closed eyes. They didn't stay like that for long. The usher's eyes widened in surprise when he read what confirmed what the girl claimed to the letter and hastily let her through, informing her that the Official was already inside the building. 'I wouldn't expect any less from an Official,' The young operator thought quietly as she made her way through the threshold then to the meeting room. Several people were already inside, conversing amongst themselves or simply sitting at their tables waiting for the unveiling to start. The golden-blonde calmly weaved her way through the crowd, her light eyes traveling around as she searched for anyone or anything suspicious.

"Eva," Bass spoke up, his tone suggestive.

" _I know_ , give me a second..."

Traveling casually alongside the far wall, she took her PET out of her coat pocket and discreetly aimed it at the jack-in port, a red light coming from the device as she jacked the cloaked Navi into the system. Eva held her personal device at her side until she settled in a seat at a single table, where little people were at.

"Let me know if you find anything suspicious," The young blonde ordered as she moved the PET onto her lap.

"Of course."

Someone, a boy with white-and-black hair, sat down in the seat to her left, making her glance up curiously before looking away. At least until he spoke up, his beginning sentence catching her attention.

"You know, you could be a _bit_ more discreet..."

The older female glanced at him again before looking away again, "So you're the Official who invited me here. Why were you following me yesterday?"

"Doesn't matter in the long run. I might have allowed you to participate but that _doesn't_ mean to get in our way."

"Bass and I have our own way of doing things. Believe me, we won't be in the way."

* * *

Things were quiet as the ebony Navi wandered around, stalking around corners here and there as he looked for anything out of the ordinary. Every once in a while he would come across security but simply telling them that he was with the police discarded any and all suspicion towards him. Bass approached one of the many small clearings within the forest of pixelated pillars, watching as a small group of security Navis talked with a visored red Navi with silvery hair. After a few seconds, the cloaked Navi turned and continued his search, coming to the conclusion that the Navi belonged to the Official who allowed them access in. He looked over his shoulder as he walked, feeling eyes on his back and realized the elite Navi had turned his attention away from the security Navis and onto him. The jet black warrior nodded his head in greeting before moving behind a pillar, breaking the visual the two had on each other. After another minute or so, he came across another clearing, a colorful Navi with long arms and a jester hat standing in the middle of it. Just standing. For some reason, the solo fighter got a sinking feeling just from this, his back stiffening as his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Hey," A light yellow security Navi greeted as he walked up to the darker Navi, "See something?"

Bass glanced at the other Navi then looked back, blinking in surprise when the clown-like Navi was nowhere to be seen. Without an answering the security Navi, he walked into the clearing, looking to his left and right then looking up in an attempt to find the strange Navi he had seen.

"You okay?"

The cloaked fighter looked over his shoulder at the distracting Navi, a silent snarl of his face. 'Useless. And that Official's worried about _us_ getting in the way,' He thought with a growl before disappearing in a flash of light.

* * *

While the Official left the table so it wouldn't attract too much attention, Eva stayed in her seat, where she could observe the people around her without being suspicious. Almost everyone had arrived by now and most were in their seats, impatiently waiting for the presentation to start. Finally, now that everyone was there and seated, a man in a nice suit with greying hair stepped onto the stage. A younger man with dirty blonde and an odd attire slipped out from the curtains and shadowed him, an odd smile plastered on his face. Another thing the golden-blonde found odd and out of place was the electric guitar in his hand. Coppery-hazel eyes narrowed suspiciously before the owner stood up from her chair and quietly made her way to the white-and-black haired boy that was hanging out in the back. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest and his sky-blue eyes were locked to the stage, following the movements of the odd man with suspicion equal to Eva's. Once their eyes met, he gave a discreet hand signal for her to stop, which she did automatically then turned her gaze back to the stage. The man in the nice suit, her father's partner now that she got a good look at him, had reached the microphone and was clearing his throat to speak.

"Thank you all for coming," Dr. Ormarez began, a small smile on his lips as he looked at the people in the crowd, "This is a very special project that most of the scientist in Hollow Science Center have been working on. Now I could bore you all by explaining to you about it..."

There were many groans and complaints at this. The golden-blonde couldn't help but smirk softly, having been tricked by his joke before. Her smirk grew into a small grin as she remembered the first time he got her. His laugh brought her back to reality, as well as confusing those who didn't know him like she did.

"I'm sorry, but I don't really get a chance to do this that often," The aging scientist chuckled before settling down, "I think a demonstration will be much appreciated."

"But first!" The dirty blonde interrupted as he shoved the professor out of the way, his guitar in both in hands and at the ready now, "How about a little _rock and roll?!_ "

'Is that a PET attached to that thing?' Eva narrowed her eyes suspiciously, her hand going to her own personal device as if it were a gun. The first swipe the man did somehow caused the lights to blow, shattering glass everywhere and on everyone. The male Netbattler pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on and started forward, his gaze now a full out glare. And he couldn't have moved away from the wall any sooner. The next two strokes caused the walls to crack and power outlets to come undone, wires snaking out and crackling with dangerous electricity as they whipped around. At this point, everyone was panicking, screams from both men and women were clearly heard. There were also some children screaming and crying as well, the fact that the adults were freaking out as well didn't help their fear. 'You son-of-a-!' The golden-blonde thought as she started forward, ready to punch the manic's lights out. A hand clasping around her shoulder caught her attention, causing her to look to her right, where the Official stood.

"Get everyone out of here and to safety," His voice was calm and commanding, yet stern as well so there would be no questioning his order.

Luckily, the newer operator had no intentions of arguing with the taller male, slipping from his grasp and making her way to the outskirts of the panicking crowd. 'She is so much unlike Lan,' Chaud thought, a small smirk on his face, 'She might actually make a good Official with more experience...'

"Protoman, status."

* * *

"Everyone! Remain calm and head to the nearest exit in a dignified manner," The young female called out, her voice strong with a certain authority she didn't know she had, "Outside will be a squadron of officers ready to take you to safety! Remember; remain, _calm!_ "

Those who were closer heard her over the noise and did as told, believing that she was an officer herself from the authority her voice had. Others saw that people had calmed down quite a bit and were moving towards the exit, following their lead as they, too, became calm and composed again.

"Stay clear from the walls and stick strictly to the middle of the doors as you exit!" Eva ordered, backing away to allow the businessmen/women and others more room to exit, "We don't need anyone electrocuted today."

Crying nearby caught her attention and she looked to her left to see a young boy, perhaps five or six, huddled under a table while he quivered with fear. 'Poor thing...' The golden-blonde's gaze softened in sympathy before she turned back to the crowd looking for someone to take her place in evacuating everyone. A young man who had a strong posture caught her eye and she tapped his shoulder to get his attention then waved for him to step out of the crowd as she stepped back a bit.

"Take my place and get everyone to safety, including yourself. I won't be long."

Before the male could be given a chance to reply, she was gone, speed-walking to the cowering child. Shrugging to himself, he turned around and shouted orders to the others.

"Bass."

" _Busy…_ Woah!"

The dark Navis' yelp was quickly followed by the sound of fire flaring up and a lions' roar. Confused and worried, the young female took her PET out from her coat pocket as she walked and looked at the screen in time to see Bass slash a cyber lion with his Fire Arm.

"What the hell is going on in there?"

"Don't worry about it, I've got it handled. Focus on what's going on out there," The cloaked Navi replied before killing the audio.

Eva sighed in annoyance that her partner brushed her off again then realized that she had arrived at the table the boy was hiding under. Smiling softly, she knelt on one knee and nudged him gently while shushing him sweetly, humming under her breath to calm him down. Eventually, the lost child looked up and smiled at her, his eyes light as the suns'.

"Hey, kiddo.~ Did you get separated from your parents," The golden-blonde cooed caringly, a soft smile still on her lips, "Would you like me to help?"

"You're not with him?..."

"The World Three agent? Mhmhehheheh. No, sweetheart.~ I'm actually closer to an Official and we just met."

The boy perked up at that and started to crawl out, a small smile on his lips, "What's their name?"

"Oh, I wouldn't know," The older female replied with a sing-song sigh as she rose to her feet and offered her hand to the kid, "He didn't have enough manners to introduce himself.~"

"I won't be like that," He giggled as he accepted her helping hand and allowed her to pull him to his feet, "See; I'm Nathan Ambrose, nice to meet you!~"

Eva chuckled under her breath, finding it funny the boy would give her his name for the sake of being the better "man", so to speak. The moment was broken by a harsh voice snapping at her from behind followed by the stranger grabbing her shoulder roughly and spinning her around. Her hand tapped the boys' cheek in a weak backhand but the sound of flesh striking flesh was still audible.

" _What do you think you're doing?!_ " The male hissed, though the young blonde could care less about him as she looked over her shoulder at the one she hit.

Wide, worried coppery-hazel meet sweet and forgiving yellow as the kid mouthed to her that he was fine, even though he was rubbing his cheek. The lithe Netbattler grunted when the "man" grabbed her by the jaw tightly enough for it to leave a bruise and pulled her head so she was looking at him.

" _Look at me when I'm talking to you!_ " He hissed again, his eyes burning into hers', "Stupid female, answer my question!"

"Are you blind or just dumb?" She spat at him, her eyes becoming slitted in annoyance, "I'm clearly helping this kid. Now let _go of me..._ "

"Let him leave with the others," The male growled, giving the smaller one a glancing glare before looking at the seething blonde again, "We have more important matters."

His hand found her wrist after she had pulled her head away from his grip and started to pull her after him. Which wasn't happening on her watch. Not by a longshot.

"I _thought_ I told you to _let go_ ," Eva snarled as she yanked her hand away, her leg lashing out immediately afterwards and striking home.

The arrogant male sunk to his knees as he held his crotch with a low moan coming out of his mouth. The golden-blonde spat at him again gesturing for the kid to follow her and stormed off, a little shadow right on her tail. Soon enough, the two exited the Meeting Hall and the boy stopped on the first landing and looked out over the sea of people trying to find loved ones or just leave.

" _Woah..._ " Nathan breathed awe before being brought back to reality by the older female's voice, who was walking down the steps, "Oh, coming!~"

The young operator waited for him on the second to last landing then helped him onto the concrete wall separating the stairs from the drop below. After making sure that he was settled, she climbed on after him, standing up to make herself much easier to spot then called out if anyone had a son by the name Nathan Ambrose. Almost immediately, his mother and father came rushing out of the crowd to their son, the young male rushing down the steps to meet them as well. Eva smiled softly then hopped off the small wall as well and started up the stairs to go back into the building.

"Thank you so much!" Nathan's mom hugged the golden-blonde, who grunted in surprise and froze.

"We really _can't_ thank you enough," The father replied, walking over while carrying the yellow-eyed boy in his arms, "Won't you come with us? It's not safe here."

"I know that," The young operator replied as she slipped out of the surprise hug, a kind smile on her lips, "But there are others in there that are trying to stop World Three and I need to help. Besides, I can't just abandon my Navi like that. I hope you understand."

The older male nodded with a semi-disappointed smile while Nathan waved bye to her and his mother wiped away her tears. It almost looked like they were bidding her goodbye as she walked head-on into war. 'Well,' The blonde thought with a smirk, narrowing her eyes determinedly, 'Guess it fits since I kind of am...' She lifted her arm slightly in a half-wave then turned and took the steps two at a time then raced through the doors. Her soles thudded quickly on the polished stone floor, her hair flowing off her back as she ran to her destination. Ahead of her was the Official she spoke to while they were waiting for something to happen and the man whom she kicked in the balls earlier. Both seemed to be talking, or arguing, as she found out when she got quickly stated that she would take care of Count Zap as she raced passed them, slowing and changing her stride when she got closer to the backstage door, slipping through it without a sound.

Not surprisingly, the backstage area was dimly light, making it hard to see where you were going. Luckily, this worked towards the golden-blonde's advantage. No light meant no shadows cast. Her hands managed to find two objects- solid ones at that- and picked them up, needing something that fit into the long-range ammo material. The loud, heavy metal music covered the sound of her slipping out from the back and walking directly onto the stage, her eyes hard and her posture strong with no sign of fear in it. At the moment his free hand struck the guitar's strings again, she threw the cordless microphone and struck the back of both hands. The dirty blonde male dropped his instrument/PET holder and gripped his injured hands with a cry, turning his head to see who assaulted him. Starting slightly when he saw it was a young girl facing him without fear in her eyes. The guitar with the PET attached slid to the edge of the stage but neither part went over it.

"If you want a chance in the spotlight, girly, you'll have to wait your turn like a good girl," Count Zap stated, smirking softly at her and walking over to his instrument.

"I'm afraid not," The young operator growled, her coppery-hazel eyes narrowing in annoyance. 'Why is he not taking this seriously? Is this just a game to him?'

The World Three member hummed softly in question before grinning widely, "Oh, I get it!~ You want to be a backup singer! Well, I don't know how well your voice is but we could certainly give it a _blast_! AHHEHEHEH!"

"Oh, shut up and fight!"

The object in her other hand, a maraka, flew forward just as the terrorist bent down to pick up his guitar, smashing against the opposite wall and shattered from the impact. The wall wasn't unscathed either, a few cracks barely visible in the concrete it was made out of.

"Well, shit," Jack muttered under his breath, his light blue eyes wide as he stared at the damage the young girl had done.

Rapid noise from behind caught his attention and he turned in time to see her hit the brakes then pivot on her toes before lashing out with a roundhouse kick that struck his gut. As he bent to clutch his waist, the older male quickly tossed two light bulbs at her. Not taking a chance, Eva backflipped twice, avoiding the mini explosions the seemingly harmless objects caused. She landed back on her feet a couple feet away, toe touching heel and her head held high with her shoulders squared, her light eyes narrowed slightly.

"Think fast!"

The golden-blonde reacted on instinct, turning and grabbing the object that was thrown towards her before looking at who threw the object. Chaud stood in plain sight, his body posture sure much like hers' was. The older female nodded her head in thanks before looking back at her opponent as he began to laugh.

"That was quite the _shocking_ experience," Count Zap chuckled, turning to her with an evil grin, "How about I return the favor with some _electroshock_ therapy!?"

"I think not," The young blonde replied evenly before throwing the heavy menu at his gut then jogged over as he bent over and grabbed his face then shoved down to the floor, all her weight behind the blow.

As she checked to make sure she didn't accidentally critically wound him, the Official turned the PET towards him and checked the actions made on it. Eva came back and crouched down in front of the instrument, her brow raised in question.

"Where's the guy you were talking with?"

"Arguing with," The white-and-blacked haired male corrected, his tone giving off the impression that he didn't care, "I told him to leave."

"Why?"

"The only one I allowed along was you."

" _Shit..._ " The older female cursed quietly, closing her eyes tightly as she recalled the female World Three agents' words, "Trish said that there was someone else along with Count Zap."

Chaud glanced up at her sharply before looking back at the World Three PET and tapped a few times before what he was looking for popped up, "The electrical generator. You're faster than me, go ahead."

"I _also_ don't know my way around," The golden-blonde replied, hopping down and landing next to him, "Lead the way."

The taller boy nodded in reply before taking off, retrieving his PET from its holder while the female Netbattler ran alongside him, "Protoman, head to the electric generator core."

"I'm almost there."

The Official nodded then looked to his left, catching Eva's attention, "Where's your Navi now?"

"The last time he checked in, in a fight."

"All the same, it would be best if you sent him to the electronic core as well."

"Right," She took her PET out of her coat pocket, noticing that the audio was back on but continued in case he didn't hear, "Bass?"

* * *

"I heard, on my way now."

The ebony Navi looked over his shoulder at where Clownman had been standing when he was deleted before pulling his cloak collar over his mouth and teleporting in a flash of light. A large group of Spiky viruses met him when he jumped to the core, more than one noticing the flashing entrance he pulled and growled lowly. Bass narrowed his eyes, not even in the faintest of moods to deal with them at all, and punched the ground with his Earth Breaker, causing a shockwave that ripped through the pack of viruses. The solo fighter rose into the air before taking off towards the center of the core, just as an explosion went off and a large cloud of rose from that area. 'What did you get yourself into _now_?' He thought, remembering that Protoman had passed his fight with the clown Navi running in this direction. 'For your sake, I hope that was an attack from you.' The cloaked Navi teleported again, appearing in the cloud of smoke while fighting went on somewhere ahead of him. A bolt of electricity made itself known in the visually obscured area, appearing near ground-level and up in the sky.

'I have a feeling that elite Navi can't fly...' The dark fighter vanished to the location of latter of the bolts and nearly teleported into the giant spoke generating the electricity that was in the air. 'From what I know, there can't be just one of these, especially with all the bolts I saw...' On cue, the generator sparked and the electricity struck someone, as evident by the yell of pain. The smoke had cleared enough for the dark Navi to see that it was Protoman the electricity had struck. It also allowed him to see the visored Navis' opponent. Mainly black, the World Three Navi had four energy spokes on his back with a helmet that had cat ear-like additions on the side and a lightning bolt down the middle. There was a long gash on his side that was quickly healed with a bolt from one of the energy generators. 'Ah, so that's what these are for. Striking Protoman was just a happy accident,' Bass thought as he glanced up at the electricity sparking on top of the spoke he was standing behind, his Dark Arm Blade forming on his right arm. A strong swipe destroyed the generator and the cloaked warrior drifted back into the denser part of the smoke before stalking over to the next spoke, using his dark colors to his advantage. He slashed at the next generator as the two were fighting, moving on to the next one when it suddenly became quiet. Logic kicked in as he stopped in his tracks, his blood red eyes narrowing in suspicion. There had been no sounds of deletion nor had there been any of being jacked out. So that obviously meant one of them was unable to fight for now. Which meant…

Electricity around the light blue sword crackled as it made contact with the dark energy blade, the would-be ambush failing as the two new combatants locked eyes.

"Nice block," The electric-themed Navis complimented, a cocky grin on his face, "Thought I didn't notice you, did you?"

"... I'm not in the mood."

Bass leaned back then delivered a strong kick on his opponent's torso, sending him flying into the third generator, which broke apart on impact. The cloaked Navi narrowed his eyes as the World Three Navi fell to the ground along with the remains of the electric spoke. His gaze, however, softened when he turned to see Protoman struggling to return to his feet. The ebony fighter teleported to the visored Navis' side and helped him stand, a concerned look in his eyes.

"Think you have enough in you to fight him while I take out the last generator?"

The red swords' fighter nodded his head in reply, looking up slightly as the darker Navi was a bit taller, "Yes. I thought Chaud told your operator to not get in the way."

"Like _hell_ I'm just going to let you get deleted without getting a say in things," The cloaked warrior all but snapped, his body stiffening in defense as his eyes hardened once again.

The elite fighter couldn't help huffing in amusement, smirking softly behind his face guard then stiffening when he looked forward. The sudden change in the lighter Navis' body language instantly made the sable Navi became aware of an incoming attack and shoved the weakened fighter away, teleporting in a flash before the Electric Boomer hit him. Protoman stumbled a bit then used the momentum from the shove to dart forward, his standard sword forming on his right arm as he rushed Elecman. The electric-based Navi easily parried his strike, not ready for the foot darting out towards his stomach. Bass watched from his place next to the last electricity generator, a dark purple ball with electricity running through it in his right hand. He watched them go back and forth, amazed that the lithe Official could still give a good fight despite his injuries, before turning away and tapping his Darkness Overload against the cyber object.

The red melee fighter dug his sword into the pixelated ground and knelt down at the sound of the explosion, bracing himself against the shockwave it caused while his opponent was flung off his feet and into a large pillar, which crumbled and fell down along with him. The cloaked Navi teleported to the outskirts of the rubble then casually walked to the semi-broken body of the cyber-terrorist, his Dark Arm Blade swinging lazily by his side. The electric-themed NetNavi groaned lowly in pain then looked up weakly as the taller Navi loomed over him with his cloak collar making his eyes the only thing visible, which held no emotion in them besides cold contempt. Elecman's jaws parted in a silent scream of agony as the glowing purple sword was plunged into his emblem without hesitation. Bass rose out of the kneel he had taken to finish off the criminal then turned to the elite fighter as he was walking up.

"The core is protected by an object in the real world," Protoman stated as he approached, a limp visible in his step.

"Then I suppose all that's left to do is wait until our operators deal with it," The darker Navi replied as he pulled the collar down, "Let's hope we don't have to wait long."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"I've just had my fill of electricity for the day..."

* * *

Eva grunted as her feet meet stone flooring with a thud then took off after Chaud, the leaving the second staircase behind them. It had been a few minutes since ran passed the maintenance doors on their way to the generator room, their PETs in their hands as they ran in case they were needed. The Official called over his shoulder that hey had one last stairway to go down before they reached their destination, the older female breathing just a slightly less heavily than he was. The two turned the corner and started down the last staircase when gunfire opened up on them. The taller male ducked to the side while the golden-blonde rolled over the dividing barrier and fell the last two or three feet to the floor below then lunged for cover behind some crates as the gunshots turned in her direction. The white-and-blacked haired boy used the distraction to jump down the rest of the steps and dive behind a supporting beam on the opposite side.

"You two can't hide forever," The younger World Three terrorist proclaimed with a laugh, the semi-automatic in his hands.

The young operator gritted her teeth, crouched behind a large crate box when movement to her right caught her attention. Chaud pointed to something by her feet then made a walking motion with his fingers before finally pointing to the far wall on her side. Curious, Eva looked down to where he had pointed to see a brick laying slightly in front of her and to the left. Getting what his plan was, she flashed him a grin before grabbing the brick and speed-walking away while remaining crouched. The male Netbattler picked up a rough block of debris then pegged it at the far wall on his side, the sound catching their enemy's attention and giving the older female the distraction she needed. She slipped out from behind the crates then threw the brick at his left shoulder, forcing him to drop the big gun in favor of gripping his injury. The Official sprinted from his own cover then slid on the ground, his body weight and momentum causing the older male to the ground. The golden-blonde ran up then front-flipped over his body and landing by the semi, kicking it away with a little spin. The terrorist started to climb to his feet then stopped when Eva spoke up, her words coming out as a growl through gritted teeth.

"Move or try anything funny and I'll kick you in the throat..."

Now that the little incident was under control, the Official lifted his PET up, "Protoman, report."

"The core seems to be protected by something on your end. It should be in plain sight. Do you see it?"

Chaud looked away from his personal device, noticing an object magnetized to the generator, then nodded reply before putting the device back into its holder and walked over to the brick. Bass' operator glanced up at him as he passed before directing her attention on the criminal once more, only flinching slightly as the Official slammed the brick on the device and allowing the two Navis to turn the power off, killing the flow to the exposed wires. The older female looked to the room's entrance at the sound of feet approaching rapidly, officers and other Official Netbattlers running in. The defeated World Three member started to yell something over to them but was quickly silenced with a swift kick to the head.

"Warned you..." Eva muttered to herself, jacking her partner out and raising the device up, "Geez. You look like you had fun..."

The cloaked Navi appeared on the screen, singed and in a foul mood, "Not now, Evalince..."

'He's never said my real name before...' The golden-blonde thought in concern as she ran the repair unit and returned her white PET to her pocket. She looked up to see the younger male checking up on his Navi as well then turned her head to see her father standing in the middle of the steps looking down at her disapprovingly. Sighing softly, the young operator blew her red bangs out of her eyes then held up her pointer finger and walked over to Chaud, who looked up as she approached.

"Thanks for letting us help," The older female started, a soft smile on her lips, "However, I'm unable to stay and give a report. I'm sorry about that..."

"Hm?" The white-and-black haired boy rose an eyebrow, unsure of what she meant, "And why would that be?"

Eva turned to look at her father, Nicholas, speaking with an officer while occasionally glancing at the young blonde with narrowed eyes. She turned back and smiled softly in sadness then turned and walked over to her father, her shoulders slumped in defeat and her head down slightly.

"My dad's not as lenient as yours."

The Official and his Navi watched as the older Netbattler walked off, the latter getting a feeling he didn't like which only continued to grow. Almost as soon as she reached arm distance of the scientist, Nicholas reached out and gave his daughter a light but quick tap against the side of her head with the back of his hand. The golden-blonde stiffened then relaxed after the strike, as if she believed it would be harder than that. Chaud gritted his teeth as the 'parent' and child left visual range, his free hand forming into a fist.

"Chaud, I don't think that was the first time he struck her," Protoman stated, tilting his head down a bit as he spoke through his teeth slightly. Though it wasn't visible, his glare was just as deadly as his operators'.

"For once, Protoman," The boy began, glancing down at the PET in his left hand before looking back up, "I wish you were wrong..."

* * *

"Hey, Eva?"

The young operator brought her book down then turned to look at the red striped PET charging on her computer desk. She was laying on her back on her bed with her head against the headrest, _Predators of the World_ in her lap. They had been in her locked room for a little over an hour now in almost complete silence, save for the sound of the girl turning the page to continue reading. This was the first time Bass spoke up since they left the building and Eva was starting to worry if he was mad at her.

"What's up?" The golden-blonde replied, her tone flat with boredom but curious all the same.

"Why did World Three attack here anyway? It's not like this town holds any real power in the world."

'So that's what you were up to,' His partner mused, a relieved sigh passing by her lips as she realized he wasn't mad, just happened to be in deep thought. She turned her head away and looked up at her ceiling, a slightly darker shade of pink then her walls, her brows furrowed in thought. He was right, as small as their town was, it wasn't a big target for terrorists until now. Especially the Meeting Hall building. It wasn't exactly famous, having been built only two or three years ago so it was relatively new. So why _did_ the Netcrime group pick here of all places to attack?... Unless there was something there that they needed and the attack was a diversion. A very good one at that.

"Good question, Bass," The young blonde stated, placing her book on the bed as she swung her legs over the side and walked over to her computer.

The cloaked Navi watched her move across the room for a bit before speaking up again, his arms crossed in front of his chest loosely, "Think of something?"

"Yeah. I'm thinking that the attack today was more of a scapegoat than the real deal..."

"Oh? What makes you think that?"

"Your statement did, actually," Eva turned away from her computer screen and looked at the smaller one next to her, "You pointed out that our town is too small to make a difference in the world, so the only logical reason for World Threes' attack was that they needed something in the Meeting Hall. And the only thing going on in there was the unveiling party..."

"... Which means that there would be someone taking advantage of the havoc and chaos to sneak in and steal the mystery object," Bass followed her train of thought as he slowly uncrossed his arms, "I'll see if any security cams caught anyone new."

"And I'll see if Dr. Ormarez can fill in the light on this object and why World Three would need it so badly. Let you know when I find something."

"Same."

Eva turned back to the computer screen as the dark NetNavi blinked off of the PETs' screen. She tapped a few times before the facetime screen popped up, a pixelated phone vibrating as the call was made. After a few seconds, the doctors' face appeared, his hair slightly disheveled and misshapen, most likely from stress.

"Eva?"

"Afternoon, doctor," The golden-blonde greeted with a small smile, "I'm afraid this call isn't for luxurious talk. Bass and I believe that the attack earlier today was a mere distraction to get the object you were going to unveil. Any ideas as to why?"

"My, don't you sound like an Official," The family friend chuckled, a wide grin on his face before he became solemn and answered, "Unfortunately, I know exactly why they were after the Electric Guard Program. I, as well as many other scientists, developed it to strengthen security Navis and give it to big corporations as well as military to protect other countries. But in the wrong hands, it can be the main defense for the Life Virus."

"Life Virus?" The young female leaned forward and crossed her legs as she brought a hand to her lips thoughtfully, "What's the Life Virus? I've never heard of it."

"And I'm not surprised you haven't. That virus is one of the strongest of its kind, so it was terminated many decades ago. Unfortunately, it is also one of the easiest to recreate. It's a spider-like virus with large hands and a strong, self-generating barrier."

'Kind of like Bass,' The Navis' operator mused as she leaned back and pressed her fist against her mouth as she thought. On the opposite side of the call, the scientist was tapping and clicking on objects off screen, a thoughtful look on his face as well. The blonde was brought out of her thoughts upon her partners' re-arrival then held up her pointer finger for a moment and turned her attention back to Dr. Ormarez.

"Thanks for the help, Marcus, we appreciate it."

"It's no problem, Eva. I've sent the data file of the Life Virus to you by email. Oh, and Lil' Ev..." The doctor trailed off as he looked up from what he was doing, a saddened expression on his face, "I apologize for calling your father. I had no idea he intended to keep you from helping, especially with something this big..."

"Pardon?" Eva rose a brow at his slip, becoming interested yet confused at the same time, "What do you mean by 'something this big'?"

"Oh, nevermind that," Dr. Ormarez chuckled sheepishly, waving his hand dismissively before hanging up.

"Doctor-!" The golden-blonde started to object when the black screen cut her off.

"Wow." Bass muttered, looking at the computer with a raised brow, "And some people say _I'm_ rude."

"Why does everyone keep brushing me off," His operator grumbled into her hand, resting her elbow on the desk while she glared softly at the blank screen in front of her.

"Hehe! You're still sore about earlier?" He chuckled, a small smile on his lips before it vanished, "In my defense, I was in a fight."

"I know that, but I'm your _operator_ , I'm supposed to help you in fights."

"I'm not like other Navis, Ev," The ebony Navi replied, trying to think of a way to make her understand, "I won't always need help during a fight since I can handle myself. Besides you are helping me. When you fight the enemy's operator in the real world, it prevents them from aiding their Navi which gives me more of advantage than I already have."

The young blonde huffed amusement, always finding it funny to hear a sympathetic tone in a Navi that looked like he wouldn't be capable of sympathy, "Suit yourself. How about bringing up what you found in the Meeting Hall."

With a nod, the cloaked fighter opened the security footage during the incident. At 3:14 pm, a young male dressed in purple and black slipped into the back, a mask covering his face and a hood covering his hair. Damaged, scarred hands were always visible, no matter which way he turned. After a while of him wandering, the third-party criminal slipped into the backstage area, the video switching cameras just as he was closing the door behind him. The teen moved with calm intent, taking his time as he moved towards a computer on a moveable stand. (At this point, Eva had already gotten a pretty good feel on the guy, muttering how he was certainly very uppity and flamboyant but practiced). He opened the top of the object and put a disk into the side before typing away, his fingers flying across the keyboard while his eyes searched the screen in front of him. After a minute or so, he took the disk out and walked away, slipping out of the door once more. Five minutes later, the golden-blonde herself came through the backstage door as she set up her ambush. While his partner was watching the footage he picked out and cut, the cloaked Navi was looking over the Life Virus file the doctor had sent.

"Five minute difference," The young operator muttered into her fist again, her coppery-hazel eyes narrowed in annoyance, "And the second World Three member was distracting that Official by arguing with him, ensuring this strangers' escape."

"What do you think about his hands," Bass wondered, having noticed the fact that both hands were visible in all shots as well.

"Gloves, not hands. Whoever this guy is, he is obviously smart enough not to leave prints, and we didn't see him put any on before stealing the Electric Guard Program."

"Which means we have nothing on this guy," The sable warrior finished with a sigh, irritation laced in his voice, "They had this figured out and planned front to back, even took into account for wildcards. Us. ARGH! This _stupid_! How are we supposed to take down World Three if they can make a perfect crime?!"

"There's no such thing as a perfect crime, Bass," Eva stopped her Navis' rant short, her chin in the pit of her palm while her elbow rested on the armrest, "It's not exactly true that we have nothing on him, either. We have an idea on this thief's height and his shoe size, which is a size or two below what he's wearing judging from the flip from the heel. There's also his walking pattern, almost like he has an injury on his left side."

"I take it you want me to duplicate these two things and hand them to the Official?"

"Please. Also relay what I told you."

"Got it. Won't be long," Bass assured before warping off the PET screen in a flash of white.

The young blonde rose from the seat and made her way back to her bed, her step faltering as a realization hit her.

"SHIT! I forgot to ask him how he was going to get in!"

* * *

The Official H.Q of Electopia was, in all sense, a fortress. The firewalls were very thick and in layers, making it so a hacker or a Navi trying to breakthrough unable to do so without being caught or at least noticed. Security was better, as most were customized instead of the standard security Navis. The firewalls were of no worry for Bass, it was the security personal that he had to worry about. Hacking had its perks and its drawbacks. Once you were in the place you were trying to get into, the more easily it is for you to slip up and be caught, especially in a server that was as guarded as this. Luckily for the dark Navi, he didn't have the need to walk or run to avoid the armed trouble, teleporting was so much easier and safer. When he finally found Protoman, he unfortunately found out. The red Navi was speaking with a semi-standard one, midnight blue armor covering his forearms and shoulders. Silver spikes stuck out from his lower legs and hands, the latter blades curving to cover the fingers and give any hand-to-hand attacks an extra punch.

"-anyway. So there's no way into the server that way," The darker elite was reporting, walking alongside the slightly taller Navi, "Trench was wondering when Chaud was coming back to cover DenTech City. He's been complia-"

"Have you tried the back door?" The melee fighter interrupted, an emotionless tone in his voice.

"Uh… Yes… But I-"

"There are multiple back doors in several servers. Find one that's weaker then get in," He instructed with a slight irritated tone.

The cobalt informant started to snap back at him when a yell caught their attention, a voice familiar to the brighter Navi following shortly in a calm tone. The two turned to see a short security Navi standing in front of Bass, a weapon in her hand while his were up and empty.

"How'd you get in here?!" The smaller female interrogated the cloaked fighter, a very audible snap in her voice.

"I just want to give Protoman some data, that's-"

"ANSWER MY QUESTION, YOU-!"

"Stand down," Protoman ordered as he walked up, looking to the Navi he fought alongside in the Electric Core as the navy blue Navi he was talking with jogged up, "What are you doing here, Bass?"

The cloaked fighter walked forward, a file forming in his hand as he outstretched it towards the melee warrior, "This file contains data on the Life Virus, the real reason for the attack, and the video of the theft. It seems like the culprit had some kind of accident, as his left shoulder is sloped and his left leg has a slight limp."

The elite Navi took the data file and turned it over in his hand as he listened to the taller Navis' report. His rigid stance perked a bit, realizing they could easily put a stop to whatever World Three was planning if they found the fellow Bass was talking about. The lithe fighter nodded then looked back up at his temporary comrade, though is expression did not imply an incoming compliment.

"This information will come in handy in the long run but the text time, don't investigate without being instructed so prior nor intervene in official matters. Now, how did you get in here without being noticed earlier."

"I have a program that allows me to efficiently hack into any server without raising suspicion nor damaging the firewall," The ebony warrior answered evenly, his blood reyes narrowing as his tone took a different turn, "As for your orders, however, I will have to respectfully disobey. My hacking program allows me to move about with little worry, and I'm afraid Eva and I are too far in already to back out now."

Both the security and the scout Navis gasped in shock, never hearing someone talk to Chauds' Navi like that before. Protoman narrowed his eyes behind his visor as his frown deepened. This was the second time this Navi had spoken to him like that, stubborn thing.

"Do as you please, just know that there are consequences in the future," The elite Navi responded coldly, turning on his toes and walking away, "Now go before you draw anymore unnecessary attention."

"Just what I was thinking," Bass agreed before vanishing in a white flash.

He arrived back in Eva's PET, the young female sleep with her book held limply in her hands. The dark warrior smiled softly at the sight, happy to see his operator resting after the long day but his smile didn't last long. The cloaked Navi turned his gaze downwards, a troubled expression on his face now. Something about the red melee fighter struck as something familiar, but what and why he didn't know. And it worried him.

Sneak-peek; Chapter 5- Together Forever…?

"You know how she gets with these kind of things..."

"What the hell did I miss?"

"Because she's clever... One thing I always admired about her..."

"Besides, what they don't know won't hurt them, right?"

Clownman. EXE; His description is exactly the same as Clown Man. You can find the fight in the Special Chapter, underneath From Another View as a deleted scene, both of which will be coming soon. You might want to remember the kid with the yellow eyes because he'll be coming back in future stories. Just a heads up there. Also, I'd love for you guys and girls to leave a review and let me know what you think and what I can change. Bye for now! ;)


	6. Chapter 5- Together Forever?

Chapter 5- Together Forever….?

"Thanks for coming with me to get a PET belt, you two."

"No big, what are friends for?"~

A couple of days had passed since the terrorist attack/theft and things had started to turn peaceful, though Eva wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing… Either way, both she and Bass remained alerted, much to their friends disapproval. The latter of the partners was hanging out in the shared PET space with Quickman being his usual hyperactive self and Kat, Hannah's Navi, being unusually clingy. Kat was basically a cat fused with a standard Navi, armor designed to look fluffy with movable ears on her white-pink helmet and an ever swaying tail. Her hands had retractable claws that couldn't break and even her nose was that of a cats', small and pink with whiskers. Basically a neko.

"I'm bored!"

The cloaked warrior sighed loudly, having heard the same complaint from his streamlined friend for quite possibly the hundredth time, though it most likely wasn't that extreme, "We _know_ , Quick, and I would gladly spar with you if I didn't have extra weight attached to me."

"Hey," The feline Navi yelped indignantly, lifting her head to glare at the taller male with her ears flat against her helmet, "I don't weigh that much!"

"No," Bass drawled in an irritated tone, turning his head to look down at her with narrowed eyes, "But that was _clearly_ a hint for you to _let go..._ "

"But you went to through a very traumatic experience!" Kat proclaimed, hugging his arm tighter and making him grunt in discomfort, "You _need_ comforting!"

A mix of an aggravated sigh and a growl escaped his lips as his gaze turned to a glare. Quickman put both hands to his mouth to stop from laughing. He knew all too well that the ebony fighter wasn't the most cuddly of Navis, having met that bad side on a particularly bad day. The dark Navi had not been having a good day and his patience was paying for it. In an attempt to make him feel better, the red and yellow speedster glomped him while his back was turned. He was thrown across the shared PET space by the sable Navi by one arm as a reward. A loud, fan-girlish squeal brought him back to reality and separated Kat from the sable fighters' arm, both placing their hands over their ears. The red speedster rubbed his own ear, looking to his left with his eyes squinted in annoyance.

"Mind warning us before you make all three of us deaf?"

"Four," Eva corrected as she moved away from Hannah's side and rubbed her own ear.

Mike sent the golden-blonde a sympathetic smile before walking over to the brunette to see the reason for the squeal. The seventh-grader had her hands pressed against the window display glass, looking at rare editions of her favorite tv show, which were all kittens. Surprise, surprise there.

"Hey! Ev, come here! Look at this one," She squealed, making her best friend blush in embarrassment, "You're _not_ going to believe who this looks like!"

"Hannah, honestly," The blonde began with a sigh, an exasperated smile on her lips, "I'm not as into the series as you are. Or _any_ tv things, really. I'm not going to get any references you make and you know that."

"Eh, just go," Bass sighed, his arm outstretched to keep Kat from trying to kill his arm again, "You know how she gets with these kind of things..."

The young operator sighed softly again, then glanced at her personal device in her new silver PET holder. Looking back up, the light-haired female walked over to join her friends at the display window. She honestly didn't know what she was looking for, the plush kittens looking the same to her except for their patterns and colors. Hannah pointed to a calico, his yellow-orange patches bordering the white paws while the rest of the cats body was mostly black with brown and orange patches on him.

"Doesn't he kind of look like Bass?"

The ginger operator cracked up laughing as he realized that the stuffy did look a bit like the dark fighter, right down to the brown of his cloak. The partner of the said Navi, however, wasn't as convinced as her two friends.

"I mean, I _guess..._ " Eva drawled, her brow raised in slight disbelief, "The orange separating the white from the black is _kind_ of similar but that's all I can see."

"What, the brown doesn't remind you of anything?!" Mike laughed, now on his butt with his arms wrapped around his stomach.

"... Bass' cloak is _beige_ , not mud brown..."

"Well… There is one way we can tell for real..." The light pink cat Navi suggested, a mischievous smile creeping onto her face. Unfortunately for her, the ebony warrior put a stop to her plan.

" _Don't_ you even _dare_ finish that sentence..." Bass warned with a growl, his dark red eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Hey, you'd look _great_ as a calico! Like how Quick made an awesome tabby!"

"Hheheh! That was fun," The streamlined male laughed, remembering just how much fun he had annoying both the cloaked Navi and his operator as a cat.

"Ugh! Eva, _help me_ here!"

"Oh geez," The golden-blonde half-chuckled, her expression very exasperated before she started walking away, "I'll wait outside for you guys, 'kay?"

Hannah nodded in reply, waving as their friend grew smaller with distance and Mike slowly calmed down.

* * *

"Better?" Eva asked as she sat down on a bench outside the malls' entrance and took her PET out.

"Much. I'm just glad that these things have limited range."

"It's a large drawback, though," His operator stated seriously, her eyes lidded slightly, "Officers have to rely on the emergency signal on here for backup instead of just calling it in."

"Mph, good point. How long do you think they'll take?"

"Pfft! Getting bored now?~"

"Uh, _yeah_ ," Bass sassed, a 'no duh' look on his face, "Not much to do here but wait."

The golden-blonde chuckled softly then looked up from the screen, immediately seeing a jack-in port a few feet away. The cloaked Navi rose a brow when his partner rose from her seat and walked off a bit before sitting down again. Just as he was about to question her, she aimed her cell phone-sized device at the jack-in port and jacked him in, answering his unvoiced question.

"Go and bust some viruses while we wait then. I can take a hint."

Her statement made the ebony warrior snort in amusement then nodded before wandering off. After an hour or so, Mike and Hannah came out, both talking loudly and laughing. Eva chuckled softly then craned her neck up and looked behind them, as if she was expecting something to come out with them. The two friends of different ages came up to her and greeted her before asking what she was looking for.

"Security." Was her curt answer, fighting to keep a grin off her face.

"What?" The brunette female looked over her shoulder then faced forward again with an odd expression on her face, "Why?"

"With all the racket you two were making, I was expecting security to be escorting you out."

"Ohh, You're asking for it!" The redhead threatened with a grin before lunging at her and tackling the older female to the ground.

The golden-blonde squeaked in surprise as she was pulled down then wrestled with the younger blonde. Hannah laughed loudly as she watched them play-fight while her Navi cringed and hid her face behind her hands in embarrassment. In a flash of bright light, the cloaked Navi jacked back into the white PET then headed for the shared Cyberspace, raising a brow when he looked at the screen.

"What the hell did I miss," He asked, drawing attention to himself.

"Where'd you get to?" His bright red friend shot back, brows raised in curiosity.

"Your operator and Quickman's are _so_ embarrassing," Kat moaned into her hands, her voice muffled but the distress in her tone was very audible.

"Whew boy, hehe… Eva, may I _remind_ you that we're in a _public_ area?"

Bass' voice caught the friends' attention and they quickly separated while grabbing their personal terminals. Both Quickman and operator still found the whole thing funny, much to the feline Navis' anger. Luckily, their cloaked friend held her back from attacking the speedy fighter, growling at the other males that they weren't helping.

"Whew boy," Eva closed her eyes quickly in disbelief then turned to Hannah who had calmed down by then, " _How_ , in such a short period of time, did this manage to become such a clusterfuck?"

"Search me. Let's start heading home before anything else starts to blow."

"Mph."

The two started back home, Mike quickly catching up once he realized he was getting left behind. As time went on and it began to get darker, the blonde female realized that it was taking much longer to get back than it took to get to the mall. That, and they were taking a route she didn't recognize but brushed it off, chucking it up to Hannah's adventurous side randomly coming out yet again. This dismissive nature quickly changed when their surroundings became darker, houses with cracked windows and graffiti on them, glass and syringes littering the damaged ground.

Eva stopped once she realized where they were, her younger friend following suit shortly, "Han, what are you doing? We're in the bad side of town."

The brunette stopped in her tracks then turned to face her friend, a cruel smirk appearing on her face when she saw where the lighter-haired female stood, "You'll see…~ Now."

The golden-blondes' proximity awareness went off, causing her to drop to the ground and roll out of the way. A male had lunged out of the alleyway next to her with a long blade in his right hand, slashing at thin air where her unprotected throat would have been.

"Dammit! Missed."

"Doesn't matter," Hannah stated, speaking with an authority neither of her 'friends' knew she had, "Just try again. You, make sure he doesn't help her."

The one she gave the second order to stepped out from the same alleyway, cold amber eyes framed by dark auburn hair. The second thug turned her caulous eyes onto Mike, looking him over with the unimpressed air of a cat looking over their prey. The male turned to the infamous operator and stalked towards her, his knife catching the dim light of the light posts every once and awhile. The young female narrowed her eyes at her 'best friend', coppery-hazel meeting smug baby blue.

"Answer me one question first," Eva ordered as she backed away from her would-be killer, "When exactly did you join World Three?"

"Wait, what?!" The younger male yelped, green eyes wide in shock, "How did you come up with that?!"

"Because she's clever," The young terrorist complimented, smiling softly at the golden-blonde, "One thing I always admired about her. _Think_ , moron. Who else would want her dead, especially after all the trouble she's gotten into. As for your question, _Sis_ , I've been a member since I was born. Kind of a tradition. But enough talk, let's get to the blood show."

'Easier said than done,' The red-banged girl thought with a scowl. When the first thug lunged at her again, she twisted out of the way and linked her foot against his ankle. As he fell, she turned and shoved her elbow into his rib cage. However, that wasn't enough to send him sprawling. Although he coughed and stumbled, the thug remained standing, catching himself with his right foot. With a swift movement of the arm, he threw the long-bladed knife at her face, it was easily dodged with a slight turn and a bend. Mike yelped when the knife flew barely a centimeter away from his ear, even less for his neck. Eva's eyes widened when she saw the thin line of blood on the side of his neck before his hand gripped it in pain. She whipped back around with a deathly glare and a dangerous snarl on her lips. The male thug was getting another knife out of his but when he saw her glare, he almost dropped it as he took a step back.

"Uhh… It's _never_ good when a girl gives you a look like that..."

" _No..._ " Bass' operator agreed as she stalked forward, venom literally dripping from her voice, " _It's not..._ "

"Uh… Starman, anytime now!"

On cue, the lightbulb of a streetlight post exploded overhead, forcing the girl to stop her advance and protect her head and face. This allowed the first thug to retreat but not too far to use connection with his Navi. 'Goddamnit,' The golden-blonde growled, grabbing her PET and aiming it at the jack-in port on the post.

"Jack-in, Bass. Deal with that while I deal with her."

"No problem."

A beam of red light shot by her and into the jack-in port, the younger student holding his PET out with both hands and a smile, "Don't count us out!"

Eva smiled back then turned her attention to Hannah. The young World Three member had taken her PET out as well and aimed it at the port, jacking Kat in. 'I don't think so,' The red-streaked blonde scowled then stepped in front of the jack-in box, interceiving the beam which fizzled out before complete disappearing.

"Really?" The brunette snorted in disbelief, a cocky smile on her lips, "Do you honestly think that's going to stop me? News flash, those two are still endanger in there, thanks to Viperwoman. You can't stop me, much less World Three."

Emotions that were held back up until now started to overflow, prompting the lighter-haired female to stalk forward with murder in her narrowed eyes. She almost couldn't keep track of the feelings that rushed through her as the 'air-headed' female prattled on. Upset that her 'best friend' had tricked her into thinking that they were friends, shocked that she was not only a part of the plan to kill her but organized it and hatred that she had been 'friends' with a terrorist the whole time. Those emotions eventually came out as physical violence. Hannah never saw the strong right hook coming, what with being preoccupied with mocking the more experienced fighter. She was knocked out cold before she even hit the pavement.

"Geez," Mike muttered out loud, his tone one of complete shock, "Anger much?"

"You didn't 'know' her like I did," The golden-blonde responded emotionlessly, looking over her shoulder at him and narrowing her eyes more when she noticed the female thug start to tiptoe away, "Move another step and I'll do something worse to you than what I did to your boss here."

She gulped at the threat then stopped in her tracks and slowly bent down, sitting on the broken sideway and crossing her legs to make a point. Eva let a stream of irritated air escape her lips before rising her PET up to eye level, raising a brow in concern at the sight of her Navi. Bass was standing a pixelated pillar and in a visible amount of pain, his tattered cloak slightly more torn up than it had been before. 'What exactly had happened to hurt him so badly in such a short amount of time?' She wondered, her brows furrowing in concern the more she just looked at him.

"Want me to send a Recovery?"

* * *

Bass wasn't sure what to expect when he was jacked into the streetlight system. Perhaps a small army of viruses, a destroyed landscape, or perhaps the sight of the enemy Navi with their back turned destroying something. Being attacked straight off the bat definitely wasn't what he was expecting.

"Acid Blast!"

The cloaked warrior teleported upon reflex, reappearing on a pillar not far away. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one able to do such a thing like he had thought. A black hole appeared next to the male Navi who looked to be the female's partner in crime. He stepped into it then stepped out of another that appeared near the ebony fighter, a sword in one hand that blazed with white fire. Teleporting again, the sable Navi formed his Dark Arm Blade then brought it down on the snake-like female, catching her back as she jumped forward then phased through the tiled ground as Quickman was jacked in.

"Um… Okay…" The streamlined male looked up at his friend, a brow raised, "Does she do… _that_ , often?"

"Not sure, first time I saw it real-augh!" Bass grunted and stumbled forward from Viperwoman's strong punch to his back.

The lighter Navi caught his friend then looked up to see the serpent-themed female phase through the ground again. Neither knew why she ran nor were they ready for the strong attack from the sun-headed enemy.

"Sky-fall!"

After a second of nothing happening, stars started to rain down on the two friends at high speeds. The red speedster took off in a flash while the cloaked fighter stood in place and powered his Life Aura up, not that it did much good. He grunted in pain and stumbled heavily when one star collided with his shoulder then again when a second one struck him in the back. Not wanting to feel the rest of the attack, the ebony warrior teleported on a high pillar, gripping his injured shoulder and had his eyes closed in agony. Quickman ran up to a pillar next to him, his eyes full of concern.

"You okay? Ugh, stupid question, of course you're not okay. Did you have your Aura up?"

The darker Navi didn't answer, instead nodded while a low groan escaped his throat. As if for proof, the aura shimmer around his body before becoming invisible once again. The lean Navi looked back down where both World Three Navis were, now talking to one another. Torn, the yellow and red speedster looked at his friend in worry then back at their enemies and lifted a foot then placed it back down in uncertainty.

" _Go._ "

The streamlined fighter blinked in surprise then looked at his friend again, the sable warrior now had one eye open and narrowed in stubborn determination. The lighter Navi hesitated for a second again then nodded, his eyes narrowed as well.

"Join in whenever you aren't so hurt."

With that, Quickman darted back down to fight the two enemies himself. Bass tired to open his other eye then closed it in pain, watching in worry as the fight continued and wondering if sending his friend into an unfair fight was a good idea. Eva's voice caught his attention, asking if he wanted a Recovery, to which he grunted in reply. As the golden-blonde searched for a strong Recovery chip, the cloaked fighter looked back to the fight, wincing when a lucky shot from the snake Navi hit Quicks' shoulder but not his legs. Luckily. He was distracted again when his partner scuffed in a mixture of disappointment and disgust.

"I only have a Recovery 50."

"Good enough," The solo fighter looked glanced at the fight with determined eyes, "Just as long as I'm back in the fight."

"Alright. Recovery 50 in, download."

The dark warrior took a deep breath then let it out as he felt his injuries go down from a searing pain to a dull nag. It still stung with quick movements but he could handle a few pinpricks. Standing up quickly and pulling his collar over his mouth, Bass teleported behind Viperwoman then gripped her arms tightly, his hands glowing slightly. 'That Acid Blast is definitely going to be useful...'

"Let _go_ of me!" The female snarled, slipping out of the hold _far_ too easily then spun around and unleashed a strong jab.

The taller male caught the punch without a problem, startling the snake-themed Navi, then sent her flying with a punch empowered with Earth Breaker. Quickman slid to a stop to watch the World Three Navi fly by and crash into a pillar then fall to the ground, a few pixelated debris falling down with her. A starry arrow flying by his head shot by Starman brought him back into the game. The cloaked fighter teleported next to the astronomy-themed terrorist and slashed at him, blocked by a quickly summoned Meteor Blade. A second one formed in his other hand which he quickly brought up in an upward arch, easily blocked by the darker males' Fire Arm. The ebony warrior kicked the other away then fired his secondary weapon like a flamethrower. A black hole appeared next to the sun-headed Navi and he disappeared into it. Any other time, the solo fight would have tracked the teleportation and followed, had it not been for a familiar yell of pain. Bass turned quickly to see his friend tumble across the cyber ground then hold his leg in pain once he stopped.

"Son of-" He warped over to the immobile speedster, noticing with alarm that the wound on his shoulder had gotten worse, "The hell? Didn't Mike give you a Recovery?"

"Yeah," Quickman groaned as he let go of his leg and wiped his hands on the pixelated ground, "But it didn't do anything. Wonder why… Bass, WATCH IT!"

A flash of dark purple and the dark energy blade caught Viperwoman's clawed pounce. He couldn't stay in this position forever, not only was Starman still a variable to worry about but his arm would tire and the female Navi would be able to continue her attack. Good thing he had two hands. The solo relaxed his arm then pivoted and threw a punch to her face with Earth Breaker.

"Sky-fall!"

'Shit.' Bass backed up then turned to his friend and locked his legs. The speedy Navi tried to convince the darker fighter that he would be fine and to leave for now, however, the cloaked warrior ignored his pleas and just gave a death glare to astronomy-themed thug as he got pummeled by the highspeed stars. Suddenly, his sixth sense went off. ' _Not now…_ Alright, Starman's operator is a coward so that most likely goes the same for him… This is risky but at least I'll be rid of them in one blow.' He'd put his plan to action once the attack subsided.

"You okay?" The lean fighter wondered worryingly as his friend stumbled forward a bit then caught himself, his back and cloak practically shredded by the time attack stopped.

"No," Bass growled, turning his head slightly to glare at Viperwoman who was charging up her Acid Blast, which mostly likely would get both of them in one shot, "I'm pissed off. VANISHING WORLD!"

The serpent-tailed female only had time to gasp in surprise before the strong attack enveloped her and left nothing behind. He slumped and panted inmix of exhaustion and pain, his back not loving him after the swift turn. As Quickman was jacked out, a pained groan escaped his lips then he started falling to the side, Eva jacking him out he before hit the ground.

* * *

"I called my uncle, he's coming to pick us up."

"What about the two terrorists?"

"I texted the police our location while Bass was fighting," Eva explained, turning to glare at Hannah's unconscious body when something in the brunette's pocket caught her eye, "What's this?"

"Hm?" Mike watched his friend walk away then bend down and grab something out of their 'friends' pocket, "What's what?"

The golden-blonde flipped the card in her fingers, her coppery eyes narrowed thoughtfully, "'W3 Axess'... Looks like an access card, but for what, I don't know."

"You're keeping it?" The ginger males' eyebrows shot up as he saw her pocket it, "Don't you think the police will need it?"

"More than us? No." Her uncles' light red truck turned the corner and pulled up, "Besides, what they don't know won't hurt them, right?"

"I _guess..._ "

* * *

Eva plugged her PET into the charger which was connected to the large main research computer for the second floor after Quickman's repair was done, watching as the scientists started the advanced repair program up. The golden-blonde looked over her shoulder to see her friend and her uncle talking then walking out. It was late, so no doubt he had just asked for a ride. As she turned back around to watch the scientists work, her mind wandered back to the attack earlier, wondering what made her such a special case to become concerned about. Surely there had to be others that helped out with taking the terrorist group out, even if it was just by accident. Maybe that was it, she was constantly charging head-first into a dangerous situation just to save lives, disrupting the World Threes' plans was just an added bonus…. No that can't be right either. The younger operator drifted to the far wall to get out of the way of the scientists then brought a loose fist to her lips and hummed thoughtfully. She couldn't be the _only_ civilian with a strong moral compass, could she? Why else would there be good Samaritans in the world? Satisfied with her thought process, the red-banged female dismissed herself real quick then made her way to her uncles' personal working space and sat in his computer chair then started the computer up. After entering the password, she went to the world's' search engine and searched for terrorist attack victims then narrowed it down to World Three attack victims then again to 'Signalized World Three attack victims'.

A number of results appeared before her though relatively less than the first two searches. Excluding the Solo Navis' partner, the victims were around ten people, each name linked to their respective reports by the blue hyperlink. One report that caught her eye was of Lan Hikari and his Navi, Megaman. While he himself wasn't attacked, his father and mother were harassed in two different incidents but at the same time and on the same day. Eva leaned back, resting her elbow on the armrest and nestled her chin into the palm of her hand, her fingers on her lips lightly as she stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully. 'But these victims were only attacked, their lives were never endangered once. So… That _does_ make me a special case. But why?' Just as that question entered her head, she wanted to facepalm herself, the answer beyond obvious. She herself was just as much a solo fighter as Bass was, not needing to focus solely on the Cyberworld but instead being able to focus on the real world and distract the enemies' operator. 'I'm such an idiot for not realizing it… The Officials are missing a report.' With this, the golden-blonde sat up straight then clicked a few times before she was on the Officials' civilian report entry page. With a quick breath to calm her nerves and get her thoughts together, the young operator began her report.

 _Earlier tonight, at around 10:46 pm, a friend of mine and I were jumped by two thugs working for World Three. I understand that this may not seem any different from the other reported attacks but continue reading, I assure you this is very different from the others. This attack was solely for the purpose of my demise, and during the fight, my friends' life was endangered as well. I believe it will do good for you to know there was another member of World Three there as well, a former friend of mine by the name of Hannah Hoffersion. She was the ringleader of this would-be assassination and had used my trust to make the two of us available for the ambush. During a brief moment in a lapse of judgment from her, I was able to learn that her whole family may as well be members of World Three. I also believe that this attack does not make me special but is instead a sign of World Threes' aggression increasing. I'd advice watching over those who have been attacked if this is the case, if you have not already. ~ Eva_

'Woah, girl,' Eva froze at the thought, her finger hovering over the send button as her coppery-hazel eyes were narrowed at the screen, her lips twisted in a small scowl of annoyance, 'You aren't emailing a friend, do this properly.' After finishing up properly, she sent the report, although she wasn't sure how likely it was for the Officials read it. It wasn't rare someones' report was brushed off and never dealt with.

"Ah, _there_ you are! Figured you'd be here."

Her uncles' voice caught her attention, causing her to turn in his chair and beam up at him as he approached, "What's a matter, Warden, am I going to jail for breaking and entering along with dealing with personal matters?~"

"How many times have I told you not to call me that," Edward chuckled, messing up her hair with his large hand.

The golden-blonde cringed then pulled away and swatted at his hand playfully while giving him a disgruntled look, "I _just_ brushed my hair this morning!"

Unperturbed, the seasoned scientist bent down to see what she was doing, smirking softly at the professional tone of the paragraph. His niece, who only ever put the abbreviation of her first name on things, signed with her full name to end it properly. Rare, and definitely something he could tease her about. Starting now, actually.

"Well then, looks like Marcus was right about you. You sound like an Official," The child-like male turned to the young female in the computer chair, a playfully mocking smirk on his lips, "Maybe we _should_ keep you away from danger, you're growing up too fast!~"

"I was just trying to sound professional," The blonde female huffed before changing the subject, getting rid of her search history as she spoke, "Why were you looking for me? Bass can't have been repaired that quickly."

"I'm going to install a program into him while he's being healed and I'd like you to see it before I install it."

"I don't see why not."

With that, the two relatives walked out of Edward's personal room and headed to the main room. Upon entering, Eva stopped in her tracks, her light eyes instantly on her Navi. In such a short amount of time, Bass' appearance had improved greatly, the advanced healing program unrealistically very close to completion. 'How in the world?' The golden-blonde rose a brow in confusion, wondering how he was healing much faster than Quickman even though the two were using the same healing program. Apparently, some other scientists were baffled by this as well.

"His healing capability is incredible! Able to be almost fully battle ready in under an hour!"

"Do you think this has something to do with his past?"

"Am I the only one wondering what his past _was_ , exactly?"

'Nope,' The young operator thought with narrowed eyes, 'We're wondering that too.' The confession from the cloaked Navi dealing with Protoman from a week ago still ran clearly in her head. _'I just feel like I know him somehow…. But I don't know how, or why… Does that make sense?' 'Plenty. We don't know much about you so it's not that strange you don't know much either. You **did** say I was your first operator, right?' 'Yeah. Weird, though. Feels like you aren't my first _partner, _or at least teammate...'_

"Eva, dear."

Her uncle's voice caught her attention and the golden-blonde jogged over to where he was sitting. Edward started the computer up as she walked up behind him and placed her arms on the back of the computer chair then rested her head on her arms. Normally, he would shoo away anyone who tried to do such a thing, not liking how they watched over his shoulder, but let his niece watch from her spot like she always did. After clicking and tapping a few times, the senior scientist tapped on a program titled 'HellfreProg'.

"Hellfire Program?" Eva rose a brow as she read the program's name out loud then turned her head slightly to look at her mother's brother, "Why is it called 'Hellfire'?"

"You'll see.~ The Hellfire Program is a weapon that can be used offensively as well as defensively."

"Wait, what? That's useful."

"I thought you'd say that," Her uncle chuckled before starting up the simulation for the offensive part of the program.

On the screen, a number of viruses were in an unknown Cyberspace, minding their own business when they burst into black balls of flame. The young blonde blinked in surprise, her coppery-hazel eyes wide as she watched the fire die down and reveil no sign of the viruses nor any blue data as a tell-tale sign of deletion. The next part of the program was the defensive data, a new area appearing on the screen. A generic Navi stood in a circle of viruses, holding an injured shoulder and sporting a nice sized gash on his side. Just as the viruses moved in for the kill, a ring of black fire flared up around the damaged fighter, the fire itself eradicating any virus/attack that was too close while the heat forced the other viruses away a good distance.

"Another thing I didn't tell you was that it can be used as a support for others as well."

The image on the screen changed once again to two Navis fighting an army of viruses. One was doing better than the other, as was evident by the fact that the weaker Navi had gotten themselves surround by the viruses. Seeing that his fighting partner was in trouble, the other Navi stuck out his hand and a ring of fire sprung up around the injured fighter, keeping them safe from attack.

"This is amazing," The young operator exclaimed in awe then turned to her uncle with a questioning look, "But why are you going to install it into Bass?"

"Even though he doesn't use it much, I've noticed how drastically his Vanishing World cuts through his stamina," He explained, clicking few times again before the screen showed the weapon's stats, "So I worked on this to help him stay in the fight but also have one hit kills."

"Huh, he'll like that."

"I know, but I'm not sure he trust me just yet, so I'll have to install it while he's being repaired."

"Why wouldn't he trust you?" Eva wondered, her brows furrowed in confusion, "He likes you a lot more then he does my dad."

"Being liked and being trusted are two different things. Take Hannah for example; Because of her hyperactive nature, no one really liked her that much but she had tricked them into trusting her. Do you understand?"

His niece nodded in reply and watched him work, the downloading process taking a much shorter time then most updates did. The golden-blonde chalked it up to Bass' Ability Get ability and smirked a bit, wondering how she was so lucky to get a Navi this special. Her gaze turned to the main computers' screen, where the dark Navi was sleeping as he was being healed. Which was almost done. Unknown to anyone in the room, a cloaked woman with blonde hair watched through the glass in the hallway, sunglasses hiding her eyes and her ruby red lips twisted into a deep frown. After awhile, she turned away from the window looking in then walked down the hall without being noticed, passing a security guard bleeding out without flinching. 'As much as I'm glad you've bonded so well with that Navi, I'd be much more happy for you if it wasn't _him..._ '

* * *

"He's done, Ms. Charity.~"

'Just in time,' The golden-blonde thought with a smirk, the Hellfire program having completed its installation just a minute and a half ago. The young operator turned away from her uncle's side and made her way across the research lab with a practiced grace, grabbing her PET from the charger and grinned softly as she watched her partner appear on the screen. Bass lifted both hands then turned them over and over again as he examined them, feeling that something had changed but not knowing what it was.

"How you feeling?"

"Great," The cloaked Navi replied, sounding somewhat distracted before lifting his gaze to meet hers', "But weird, at the same time. Like something was added to my coding."

"It was," Eva answered, turning to her uncle with a small smile, "My uncle installed a strong attack program for you to fall back on that wouldn't drain you of your energy."

"That was nice of him. Huh… Also feels like you sent an email off your PET."

"I did, a report to the Officials about our attackers. Also a tip, of sorts."

"You've been busy," He chuckled, a playful smirk on his face.

" _We've_ been busy," His operator corrected, getting his attention once again, "How about once we get home, we'll explore the Undernet a bit more?"

"You mean _I'll_ explore it.~"

"Oh, hush.~"

Edward chuckled softly as he watched them playfully argue, remembering how her mother and her other aunt would argue like that. Their last play-argument had been about living space before the mother's untimely disappearance. His smile faded as those memories popped up. Weeks of no contact from her then the police showing up and explaining the reason behind the radio silence before reassuring that they'd find her. That was six years ago. Six years too long for a father and daughter who already had a rough relationship. It didn't help that the blonde was unbelievably intelligent for her young age and understood what it meant for a woman to disappear without a trace. She grieved as if the police had already found the her mother's body, which was understandable. Two years might seem like a pretty short time for a child to stop grieving but that's how long it took for his niece to go back to being relatively normal again.

"Uncle Edward?..."

Eva's voice brought the senior scientist out of his thoughts, her coppery-hazel eyes filled with worry and concern about her uncle. Her body was turned perfectly so the screen on her personal terminal could be seen as well, Bass looking just as concerned as his partner.

"You okay?" The ebony warrior finished for her, tilting his head to the side slightly.

"Hehe, yes, you two. I'm fine, thank you," Edward reassured with a chuckle, a small smile on his lips, "Why don't you two head down to my car? I'll be there in a second."

The red-banged female nodded her head in reply then returned to her conversation with her Navi as she walked out of the room and made a right. A few seconds later, two or three security guards rushed into the room, all wary beyond belief but one had bloodied fingers on his right hand. Instantly, the atmosphere in the room changed to a dour one, a deep frown finding a way onto every scientists face.

"Speak," Dr. Charity ordered, his copper eyes cold and serious.

"We found a man down," The security guard with the bloody hand reported curtly, "We believe she got in again."

'Of course she did,' The senior scientist thought with a scowl, 'Otherwise she wouldn't have left us a "gift"...' "Show me."

The three nodded in reply then turned on their toes and marched out of the room, the doctor and a few more scientists on their tail. A left then another left and the limp body of the recently deceased security guard laid in the middle of the hall, propped up against the wall to make it look like he was sleeping on the job. His throat was slashed deep, almost being able to see the vertebrae and his chest was also slashed deeply, from right to left. 'That's her mark, alright,' Edward thought as his scowl became deeper.

"Search for her, I have to get my niece home."

"Yes, sir!"

Sneak-peek; Chapter 6- Short-circuit

" _Keep that **insane** Navi **away** from me!_"

"Piece of advice? Stop trying to join World Three, whatever is going wrong in your life, World Three is only going to increase it five fold."

"Ready as I'll ever be. Be careful, the front door is slightly ajar."

" _Bass!_ What's wrong?! What's hurting you?!"

* * *

*Viperwoman. EXE; Lithe Navi with a snake tail and long snake fangs. Passive ability: Graceful Killer= Can enable her to escape a hold or pin. Attacks: Acid Blast= Slowly disintegrates the opposing Navi, a very painful deletion as the disintegration continues even after the opponent is jacked out. Hide= Can phase through the tiled panels then pop in front of her opponent to give them a strong melee blow.

Starman. EXE; Cowardly Navi with asteroids for hands and his head is sun-shaped, the armor on his forearms and lower legs are painted galaxy style. Passive ability: Black Holes= Can summon black hoes to bring him a short distance or to allow him to get passed a firewall. Attacks: Sky-fall= A barrage of stars fall upon the opponent, doing some good damage. (Bass is weaker to this kind of attack) Meteor Blade= Hand transforms into burning sword, very fast and too hot to catch with bare hands. Star Arrow= charges up energy to fire an arrow similar to how Roll fires her Roll Arrow.

If you're wondering why they're cursing, remember that Hannah and Eva are in seventh grade (technically for Eva) and most seventh graders start cursing at this time, some sooner depending on what they're homes are like. Bye for now! ;)


	7. Chapter 6- Short-circuit

Chapter 6- Short-circuit

Two or three days had passed since the would-be assassination and the school was giving both Eva and Mike special treatment to help them recover from the shock. Neither needed it but the ginger basked in the fact that they didn't have any homework. Or at least not nearly as much. What was interesting to the golden-blonde was that the Officials _had_ , in fact, _read_ her report and had done as she suggested, as was implied by the dark car tailing her from a distance. A quick look on the Net with Bass told her that others had a car following them as well, as their annoyed rants about it explained.

But now wasn't the time to reflect on that. Standing in the back of a small crowd, the young operator watched a possible World Three member battle with a younger Netbattler. A quick trip into the Otaru police database stated a World Three member-in-training was hanging around the local Battle-Arena and was messing up a few potential Netbattlers. Because if that intel, the two partners figured it would be good to check it out. And it seemed to be paying off. A scrawny male had just beaten a young raven-haired female with her tips dyed ice blue with ease. Even if he wasn't suspected of being a World Three member, the fast he beat her and her obviously skilled Navi was more than a little suspicious. As the possible terrorist made his way through the crowd, Eva slipped the hood of her white raincoat over her head then stalked after him, keeping her distance but staying close enough to keep track of him. Finally, he entered a hallway devoid of life, an emergency exit at the end of the short hall. ' _Perfect…~_ ' With a quick brush of her hand against her side, she reassured herself for the sixth time that her coat hid her belt and her PET perfectly then closed the distance between the two. There wouldn't be enough time for an interrogation but a quick arrest should be fine…

"You there." The thin Netbattler stopped in his traces then turned all too quickly, his body on the very edge of taking off, "A few words, if you'd please. It's about that battle you had..."

"What's it to you?!" He snapped, taking in the girl's appearance nervously.

The white raincoat was buttoned almost to the bottom so the light red top showed just slightly, the coat itself seeming to melt into the long, snow-white skirt that v-slitted in the middle. White converse could be seen as she walked, slightly muddied and worn from use.

"Just one of World Three's targets, for one..."

The boy perked at that, his eyes lighting up in recognition before he deflated once more, trying to cover up his momentary slip. But a moment was all that was needed. Eva threw her hood back with a quick flick of her hand then set her narrowed gaze onto his 'wary' orbs, her blonde hair settling on her shoulders.

"You didn't let me finish. I'm not one of the helpless ones."

The would-be-terrorist cursed before turning on his toes and taking off. The golden-blonde easily slipped out of her coat then tore after him, easily catching up as the hall was completely empty save for them, as stated beforehand. Her hand grasped his shoulder then planted her foot against the floor with a solid thud before shoving him against the wall. The next words that came out of his mouth, however, threw her off.

" _Keep that insane Navi away from me!_ "

'What?...' The young operator rose a brow at his completely out-of-the-blue statement before narrowing her eyes, changing the plan briefly as her tone changed as well, "What do you know about Bass?"

"I know he's too unpredictable to be _safe_ ," The criminal-in-training spat as he squirmed, his eyes wide in fear.

"Eva, some people have noticed the commotion down here. Whatever you're doing, do it quickly," Her Navi informed from the PET under the coat.

"What else do you know?" The older female growled, using her slight height to her advantage.

"There's a computer with a file on him in DenTech City. Other then that, I don't know, _promise!_ "

"ETA; five minutes. _Move,_ Eva."

"In a moment," His partner hissed back before fixing her gaze back on the boy, " _Where,_ exactly?"

"A mile or so in the city from the southwest side. I don't know the exact location but I know that it's an abandoned research center. Why?"

"Four minutes now..."

"None," Eva leaned back and released her grip on the boy then walked away to retrieve her raincoat, "Piece of advice? Stop trying to join World Three, whatever is going wrong in your life, World Three is only going to increase it five fold."

" _Three minutes..._ "

"Thanks," The would-be-terrorist looked at the exit then looked back at her, "You should be going."

"Almost two minutes now..."

The golden-blonde nodded into the other Netbattler then made her way passed him and through the double doors just as the countdown passed a minute and fifty seconds.

"Trying to give me a heart attack?"

" Oh hush," The young operator huffed, grabbing her PET and looking into the screen, "You and I know you aren't capable of that."

"It's a figure of speech," The cloaked Navi replied in annoyance, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face, "What are we doing now? Are we going to check this place out now or what?"

"We'll have to wait," Eva answered, turning the corner and seeing the dark Trans Am sitting in the parking lot of the next door store, "We still have someone on our tails. We'll make our move during school hours, 'kay?"

"Understood."

* * *

The next day, the blonde female went into school no problem and acted as if everything was ok. But during the middle of the school day, that all changed in all but the blink of an eye... Bass messed with the Mr. Prog that ran the alarm system with a simple touch. As such, it was no surprise when chaos ensued in the younger grades when the fire alarm went off unexpectedly. It didn't help the children that the alarm also took the adults by surprise as well. During the panicked evacuation, Eva slipped out one of the schools' side exits and made her way calmly away from the school. Once she was far enough, she dumped her backpack then tore off, angling her body to be more streamlined and lengthening her strides to cover as much ground without tiring herself out. Finally, she was close enough to the city to hail a cab then instructed the driver to the southwest part of DenTech, paying easily once they arrived at the destination.

"You sure _this_ is where you want to go, kid?" The driver wondered, not accepting the Zenny just yet, "This part of the city isn't exactly the nicest around..."

"I can handle myself, besides," The red-banged operator reassured calmly, trailing off as she gestured to her PET resting in the holder of her belt, "I have my Navi with me."

He nodded then accepted the money and out of the cab she went, sliding out onto the slightly disrepaired sidewalk and stood in front of the abandoned research center.

"So this is it," Her partner wondered as he examined it using the personal terminals' seensery.

"Yep," She turned her head slightly as the cab drove passed her then turned her gaze onto the building again, her body shivering slightly for no reason, "You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be. Be careful, the front door is slightly ajar."

The young blonde looked to where he was talking about and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. I was ajar, though it could have been like that for a number of reasons. But try telling that to the girl and her Navi who just got attacked and almost killed only a few days ago. Cautiously, the lean female moved towards the door, opening it just a crack more then poked her head in slightly, enough so she could pull it back out quickly without hurting herself in case something came at her. However, the dimly lit room inside was empty, devoid of life. Still cautious because the lights were on, Eva slipped inside then pushed the door closed behind her, then started up the stairs that laid a few steps away from the door.

"What makes you think the computers are on the second floor," Bass questioned, a perplexed tone clear in his voice.

"Why would a research center put valuable computers with possibly very important files on a very accessible floor?"

"Point taken."

The golden-blonde reached the landing then looked around, almost doing a double take when she saw another door slightly ajar to her right, on the far end of the hall.

"Oooohh… kay, that's just weird..."

The young operator nodded in agreement with her Navi but moved towards it anyway, her body lowered and tense in case she needed to run. But once again, there was no reason to be cautious, as there seemed to be no one in the building with her. Still, she had the ebony warrior scan the dark room for lifesigns, coming up empty once again.

"I know that this building is abandoned, but with all these doors open, you'd think there would be at _least_ a _bit_ of life, right?"

"Unless it's just the wind opening these doors," The dark fighter replied, a bit put off by all this as well, "See if there's a jack-in port, I'll find the computer that has the file."

'That's right,' Eva thought, flicking the lights on then closed the door behind her and searched for a port, 'The guy never said what computer the file was in.' "Jack-in, Bass. Power up!"

A red beam of light shot out from her PET then into the port on the main computer router sitting on a metal table. The young Netbattler put her personal device back in its holder then walked around the room patiently, examining her surroundings with the curiosity of a girl her age. It seemed like whoever worked in this building had left in a rush, yellowing papers sitting in a disorganized pile and spoiled cups of coffee sat on the desks, half of the computers surprisingly still blinking which showed extremely long battery life. Suddenly, the screen of a computer lit up.

"Found it."

The golden-blonde chuckled softly at his calm demeanor before walking over to the computer, slightly surprised that there was no chair but dismissed it, "You don't sound very excited."

"Should I be?" Bass wondered, a strange look on his face, "I don't really like the looks of the file. Besides the fact that it's the only one in here, I mean."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," The cloaked Navi replied, moving away from the screen a bit to show her the almost barren Cyberspace, save for the single data file glowing on a small pillar, "See?"

"I don't see anything weird with the file," Eva stated, regretting it as a strange feeling overtook her just as those words left her mouth, "Oookaay, I regret saying that now."

"That's karma for you!" Bass laughed then became solemn as he looked at the file then faced his partner again, "We still doing this?"

"Only if you want to," She answered, not wanting to force her Navi to do anything he didn't want to do.

The sable fighter nodded in reply then turned back to the file. With a steady breath to push aside his displeasure of the file, he began walking towards it.

* * *

"Thank you so much, Mr. Blaze!"

Chaud waved the compliment away as he walked to the entrance, the two technicians on his tail. The younger computer techy was practically worshipping the very floor he walked on the whole time he was there. The older computer whizz, however, treated him like any other employer, which he was grateful for. It was tiring to have people wait on you hand and foot when they didn't have to.

"It's still going to take a while for the upgrade for the PET to be done but with the help you offered, we should be able to finish it sooner than we thought," The greying technician informed, walking a bit behind the other one with his hands in his pockets calmly.

"That's good. I hope you two will accept the offer to work with BlazeQuest."

"Oh, we most definitely will! Won't we?!"

"Calm down," The seasoned mechanic sighed, closing his eyes in slight exasperation, "He's still just a kid. You don't need to treat him like he's some kind of _god_."

'Took the words out of my mouth,' The Official thought with an irritated roll of his eyes. As the two men began to argue, Protoman's voice caught the boy's attention. The young Netbattler picked up his pace and moved a ways away from the two adult men then retrieved his PET from its holder and looked into the screen.

"What is it, Protoman?"

"The front door has been closed," The red elite Navi reported, his tone grave as his body was slightly tense, "Recently, judging by the disturbed dust on the floor."

'No kidding,' The white-and-black haired male thought, raising a brow as he moved closer to the door carefully. He looked at the footprints on the ground by the door, noticing with interest that the path didn't lead everywhere like a curious kid would have done but instead were placed in a straight line. Chaud also noted how the owner must have been moving carefully since the dust around the prints were as disrupted as it should have been. The young male followed the trail to the stairs then up to the landing with his eyes. 'Definitely has a target in mind...'

"Is something wrong, Mr. Blaze?"

The two technicians had noticed the Official walk ahead of them then stop and look around at his surroundings. It was the younger of the two who had spoken up as they walked over.

"No, not at all," The vice-president of the large gaming company replied then looked back up at the second floor, "What would be up there?"

"Oh, that," The elder of the guys started, moving his head to follow the boys' gaze, "That's just the upstairs. We don't have much up there, just some old boxes. There's also some old computers that the research center left behind when they abandoned this place. Nothing worth noting up there."

'Someone certainly believes otherwise,' The seasoned Netbattler thought as he his eyes narrowed before starting up the steps, "Go wait outside, I won't be long."

"Are you sure," The younger technician asked again, his eyes full of worry, "We can go up there with you if you'd like."

"No, I can handle myself. Go wait outside," Chaud replied firmly, letting a bit of irritation slip out.

The two adults got the hint and left the building, allowing the law enforcer to do his job. As he reached the top of the stairs, a female yelling in pain and shock startled him. However, he had a bad feeling he knew who it was, the feeling worsening when Protoman confirmed his guess.

"Dammit, Eva," The younger operator cursed under his breath before launching himself off the steps and taking off full tilt towards the noise.

* * *

Bass stalked closer to the strangely glowing data folder, moving at an angle with his right side first. His eyes were narrowed cautiously, continuously looking the thing over as he grew closer. This supposedly had his past and the answers to his questions. Their questions. The cloaked Navi looked over his shoulder at the screen where Eva was watching intently, her brows furrowed in concern and worry. Flashing her a reassuring smile, he turned back around and realized that he was now right in front of the data file.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to, you know..."

The ebony fighter snickered loudly then turned again to face her, a playful yet mischievous smile on his face, "You finally chickening out on me?~"

" _No..._ " The golden-blonde drawled, her tone indignant but the playful smirk that came after showed that she knew he was just joking, "I'm just worried about you, that's all."

"I know," Bass chuckled, his smile widening slightly before turning back to the file, "I worry about you too. That's why I have to do this. I want to know why your dad's so afraid of me."

"Ok…~"

(Some music that would be good to listen to; Come to this by Natalie Taylor and Hate Me by Eurielle)

The solo warrior lifted his hand then placed it on the top of the glowing file….. Stiffening as data raced into him at an unparalleled speed.

"Bass?..."

What was this? Memories? The sable fighter groaned lowly in pain and confusion, not completely understanding what was happening.

" _Bass..._ "

The memories were coming in way too fast to keep track of, only a few that went slow enough for him to notice; waking up to Wily's grinning face, fighting Mega Man on a broken road and letting him win, getting purposely damaged by Shade Man, snarling at Proto Man as he walked passed the visored prototype, and fighting the Stardroids being a few. The rest came faster and faster, prompting the dark Navi to slowly sink down as he clutched his head in pain. Where was he? What were these memories? Why was he in pain? What was on him?! What was going on?!

" _Bass!_ What's wrong?! What's hurting you?!"

His body began to glitch as his pain escalated, his groans becoming louder gradually but also becoming warped. Whose voice was that? Who was he? Where was he? What was he doing there? What- THREAT!

" _G̴e̷T̴ â̸͇w̸̭͂A̸̡̿y̵̦̾ ̴̳̌F̶̙̈́R̷̺̋ȯ̵̗M̵̯̔ ̸̞̈́M̸̼̈e̴̗͘!̷̨̉!_ "

* * *

Electricity sparked up from the keyboard then lashed out at the glitching Navis' operator, striking her palms and her collarbone. Eva cried out in a mix of pain and shock, dropping her PET as she stumbled back.

" _S̴̛̟̣͉̒̾̔͝t̴̞͓̝͍̬̙͎͚͆͒̔̆̀̈́̀ͅǍ̸̞͍͓͔̺̬̙̯̎̉͑͆̐̊͑̈́̕Y̶̗͔͎͚͎͔͓͚͕͎̳̳̓̒̇̍̒̎͊̒͂̋̇͒͒̚ ̶̲̗̜̱̭̻̲̳̥̾͐̌̑͗̓͂́̄̊͑̊̕̕͜ͅͅB̸̡̛̛̠̳̘͍̗̐̎͘̚ä̸̜̺̟̮́̔̑̑͗̋͜c̵̛̰̗̏̆͗̈̽̑͆̈́́͂̂̕͝͠K̶͖̃̇̓̅͘͝_ ," The corrupted Navi growled, stumbling back himself as he clutched his head in pain.

A loud bang caught the golden-blonde's attention and she turned to see the door had been slammed open as Chaud rushed to her side.

"Eva, are you okay?!"

"Yes," She lied, raising her hands to her chest to hide her burns, "But something's happened to Bass!"

The Official nodded his head then raised his PET to the jack-in port, "Right. Jack-in, Protoman! Power up!"

A red light shot out from his personal device and into the port, joining the mental Navi in the computer's Cyberspace. The corrupted Bass turned as the bright red elite Navi approached. He growled lowly and got into a ready stance, his vision glitching badly. He then summoned his Dark Arm Blade and swung it at the other Navi, creating a dark pulse wave. Protoman took two running steps then jumped over the pulse wave and landed in a crouch with one arm held close to his chest, forming into his standard sword.

"You need to _calm dow_ n, Bass."

" _J̶̧̧̩͎̭̤̱̮̻͙̲͕̻̍̌̓̋͐̉̓̔͛̔́͋͝Ù̶̟͍̰͇͚͎͖̈͊̈͋͒̓̕̕s̷̹̖̟̹͎͈̘̭̮̄̓͋̒́̕T̵̢̤̱̼͙͇͔̟̲͕̤͠ ̵̡̫͔̙̳̤̬̙̗͍̖͛͋̅̌̽̋̀̂͘͜͝L̵̛̘̩̖̪̹̩̱͔͌ę̷͍̺͕̲̝̖̗͗͗̄̋̂͂̑́͜͝͝͠A̵̺̼̻̳̥̹̝͊͛́͂̀͒̀́͑̊͘͝V̴̧̼̪̩̝͈͓̩͒̇͐̿̑͊̅͌͜e̵̬̪̬͐̍̾̂̚ ̶̢̟̻̯͕̝̤̟̒́̍̈́́̄̍͆͒̚̚M̵̠̬̀̉͐͐̕Ȅ̶̡̳̣̞͚͎̮̲̺̥́̑ͅͅ ̴̨͔̰̫̞͖͓͇̦̦̰̮͖̭̓̈̐̀͐̌̉̒͝A̸͇̱̞͎̲͍͒̋̔̕L̵̫̺͖͓͍̝͗͗͗̈́͛̾͂͝͠Ȯ̸̢̢͍͉̖̽̅͒̂̐̓́̐̑̚͠Ṋ̵̘̯͖̯̙̤̹͚̼̱̜͛̒ͅͅÊ̸̡̛͂̑͊̾͊!̴͉̠͎͍̟̬̓̃_ "̫

"If we can get him injured or tired enough, I might be able to jack him out," The older female's voice came through the PET's audio system, muffled slightly from the distance.

"Right, Protoman."

"I heard, Chaud," The elite Navi informed as he stood up from his crouch, brandishing his sword slightly.

The glitching Navi growled lowly in a mix of pain and anger, his free hand going up to clutch his head again while the other shot his Darkness Overload at his 'enemy'. The melee fighter darted off to one side then slid to a stop and dug his sword into the ground, bracing himself against the shockwave as the dark orb slammed against a pixelated pillar and exploded. Bass was knocked off his feet and tossed into the ground a few yards away, where he laid as he curled up in pain, his hands clutching his head. Seeing an opening, the Officials' partner darted forward, his light red sword slashing across the other Navis' side as he passed. The cloaked fighter snarled in pain and anger, the actual sound more of an old-fashioned computer then something a human or a Navi could make. His sword arm transformed into the cannon that shot out the deadly Acid Blast then fired wildly, the first two landing in an unknown location with a dangerous splash while the third one was easily dodged by the brighter opponent, whom made a mental note not to get hit with the weapon after seeing the damage the acid did to the tiled ground.

'I have to end this before this escalates more than it already has,' Protoman thought with a scowl behind his mouth guard, requesting a Variable Sword from Chaud and getting it within a second of asking. The darker Navi vanished before the Sonic Boom was even within arm's distance and the red elite was up and running again, favoring being a moving target than a sitting duck. Bass appeared in of his 'enemy' then slashed his dark energy sword at his head. The melee fighter quickly dropped to the ground, the momentum allowing him to slide between the taller Navis' legs, then shot back up and spun around, a Wide Sword replacing his Variable Sword. The ebony fighter snarled in pain then spun and lashed out wildly at the more experienced fighter, who spun out of the way then slashed him on the torso then again on the back with a Step-Sword. Frustrated that he wasn't landing a hit on the 'threat', the cloaked Navi unleashed a powerful Vanishing World where he believed the red Navi to be, when in reality, the visored Official was hanging back in the other direction. Successfully tired out, Bass dropped to his hands and knees, panting heavily from a mix of rage, exhaustion and pain.

"That's good enough. Jack-out, Bass."

"Jack-out, Protoman. Good job."

* * *

As soon as her Navi appeared on the PETs' screen, she turned it off, trapping him in there so he wouldn't be able to escape or do any damage. Eva turned to Chaud, sorrowful coppery-hazel eyes meeting with mildly annoyed sky blue.

"Protoman tells me your burns aren't second degree but they're well over the first degree area," He informed, his tone becoming a bit irritated and possibly a bit offended.

"I didn't want you to worry," The golden-blonde replied quietly, taking a step back and ducking her head.

Her posture reminded him of the first time they worked together and when he meet her father. With a sigh, the Official put his personal terminal in its holder then placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke again, keeping his tone firm yet letting a bit of concern slip in as well.

"I worry more now that I know the extent of the injury so late after the cause. I'm bringing you to the hospital then I'll get Bass repaired. Okay?"

The older female looked back up then smiled softly, her eyes still sad, "Okay..."

"Come on."

The boy turned and started out, grunting in surprise when she suddenly hugged him, burying her face into his shoulder, "Thank you two so much!"

Chaud hesitated slightly, taken off guard by her sudden affection, then rubbed her head with a small, reassuring smirk. It kind of surprised him how she was smaller than him despite being a year or two older. Nonetheless, she needed medical attention, lest that wound get any worse.

"Come on, let's go.~ Protoman?"

"I've already called the limo around."

"Good."

The younger male lead her through the "abandoned" research center with his arm over her shoulder comfortingly then opened the door for her and got in after her. The two rode in silence, Eva holding her PET in her lap and looking down at it without seeing it. The white-and-black haired boy sat on the opposite side, staring out the window as he thought. A sigh caught his attention and he looked over to see her starting to doze off, her eyes barely open.

"Hey." The golden-blonde started awake then looked over at Official in surprise, not expecting him to start up a conversation, "Stay awake. I'm no doctor, but I'm sure rest after all this isn't helpful."

The young operator grunted in reply then turned her head to look out the window. A scowl found a way on his face, 'That's not going to help. Watching everything fly by is just going to make her even more tired.'

"If it helps, we can have a conversation to keep you awake."

"Okay," The blonde female agreed, looking back around to face the younger male, "What would you like to know?"

"Does your father hit you a lot?"

The question finally came out, more on instinct and curiosity than anything. Eva huffed in amusement, perhaps because she heard that question many times before.

"No, not really. Just when I need it."

"Somehow, I don't believe that," Protoman voiced, his tone a mix of disapproval and annoyance, most likely towards her father rather than her.

"I feel that same way..."

The older female snorted in amusement, smirking softly but her eyes didn't match the humor her expression had, "You two wouldn't be the first. I've honestly lost track of how many times people worried about abuse with me and got my father in trouble with it. He never got mad at me though, calling it reasonable since he only did it in public, something he should stop. Heheh. Never did though..."

She chuckled softly, her smirk growing into a grin although it still didn't reach her eyes. 'So why do you always act submissive towards you father,' Chaud wondered with narrow eyes. The girl's laughter slowly died and the two sat in silence once again. They didn't have to ride for long like that, though. The limo jerked to a halt then the driver let them know they reached their destination while getting out of the vehicle. The golden-blonde handed the Official her PET then slipped out as the driver opened the door for her. The younger male leaned back in his seat as the driver closed the door with a click then lead the girl inside.

"Chaud," The elite Navi spoke up once again, his tone softer than before.

"Yes, Protoman?"

"Why do I worry about this girl- Eva- even though we hardly know her?"

"... Probably because she reminds you of someone..."

* * *

" _UGH!"_

 _Protoman and another Navi slid to a halt of a special type of ground, too blurred to make out what it was. As the Official shook his head, the other Navi struggled to his feet, a blur of blue, teal and yellow. The two froze as a gigantic, heavily blurred out wolf loomed over them, its jaws open in a snarl. It was momentarily distracted by a wheel of dark purple energy and Bass was suddenly standing in front of the two protectively, a snarl of his own hidden by his collar._

 _"Back. Off."_

 _The beast didn't pay his threat any heed and instead started to walk around him but only when the ebony fighter rose into the air and blocked the wolf's path did it flee. After it left, Bass notice something- or someone- sitting in the-_

* * *

A door slamming shut woke Eva up, breaking off her vision-dream before she could see who or what caught her Navis' attention are the thing left. Looking to her left, she saw her father, aunt and uncle standing there all with worried expressions. Well, her father had a mix of emotions in his eyes. Mainly anger. The golden-blonde sighed in exasperation as Mr. Charity started to scold/rant her then turned her head in favor of trying to stare two little holes in the ceiling above her.

'Why couldn't you guys have come by later...'

Sneak-peek; Chapter 7- Partners or Siblings?

"Eva, listen!, I'm so-!... Oh. _It's you._ "

"I hope this changes your resolve towards me…"

"Yes, and she was still upset. Didn't even say hi to me."

"Well now you're giving yourself too _much_ blame..."

* * *

I kind of wanted to do a fight scene between Bass and Protoman and even though Bass isn't exactly… all there, he's still a dangerous opponent. After all, he basically kept the visored elite on the evasive side of the battle. If they did battle again, it would last for much longer than this. Bye for now! ;)


	8. Chapter 7- Partners or Siblings?

Chapter 7- Partners or Siblings?

It was night. No one around. The security cameras to his private working space were off, perfect for what Nickolas was about to do. When that... _Blaze_ child came in and ordered for Bass to be repaired, he had half a mind to toss him out, regardless of his bloodline and his rank as an Official. But he had accepted the white PET the cloaked Navi was in, giving the young boy a dark glare all the while. He was slightly surprised to see the look was only mildly returned before the white-and-black haired boy turned and left. Any other time, he would have gotten right on the project simply for a slight difference in his day but in this case, he put it off for two days…. Which turned into a week just in spite of the unconscious warrior. Finally, the dreaded day came, the day when he was free from work and completely able to repair whatever the hell that cursed thing did to itself. The amber-eyed scientist sighed as he leaned back in his seat then glared at the light personal device on his desk, having discarded it to the side to make room for more important _projects_.

Reluctantly, Mr. Charity grabbed the handheld then slotted into the charger the connected to his PC but didn't turn the terminal on yet, planning on talking to the independent fighter once he was done repairing him. Once the report or the damage done, Nick was successfully surprised to see it was more of a data overload then corruption, much easier to fix. Although more trivial as well. Oh well, can't win them all. As the scientist went through all the info, he read some of it as well, as if reminding himself why he despised the ebony warrior. Finally, the data was organised and sorted, Nicholas went on to repairing the programs the overload damaged; namely the enemy identification program, the strategic unit and the speech program. Once all that was done, the lone scientist added a program of his own into the odd Navi then reluctantly turned the PET on, effectively waking the cloaked NetNavi up. Understandably, he was very apologetic once he was running again, just not to him.

"Eva, listen!, I'm so-!... Oh. _It's you._ "

Talk about a 180 personality change at just seeing someone you don't like. That was going to change, though.

"You might want to lose that tone with me, Bass," Nick practically growled, glowering at the sable Navi, "After all, I was the one who fixed you..."

"Don't see how that makes you think I'll be _nice_ to you..."

"Because I added a little something to get rid of that edge of yours towards me," The scientist purred ominously, his finger pressing a key on the keyboard.

Almost instantly, Bass' facial expression contorted from disdain and annoyance to one of pain and confusion, unfolding his arms to bring his hand to his emblem quickly. Nicholas watched with some kind of sick enjoyment as the Navis' choked cries of pain filled the room, the ebony fighter slowly sinking to his knees as his pain increased and his groans eventually became louder. Before he could start breaking apart, Eva's 'father' lifted his finger off the button, letting him drop to the floor limply and try to recover.

"I hope this changes your resolve towards me…"

Was that what having a heart attack felt like? The ebony warrior was actually _shaking_ slightly, his hands trying to dig into the pixelated ground as he panted, his eyes wide in fear and shock. A bad memory from a time in his past surfaced when he felt a similar pain. He closed his eyes, trying to make the memory go away but it only made it clearer. It was a particular time that Mega Man had defeated him but he still wanted to fight, despite missing an arm. Did he still want to beat the blue bomber as strongly as he did before?... No, by all accounts, that rival was 'dead' by now. Besides, he didn't really care anymore. Mega Man's destruction was Wily's dream, not his.

" _Bass…_ ~"

The cloaked fighter rose to his hands and knees then turned his head to face Nicholas, nodding weakly at the younger male. Was this how Eva felt whenever her 'father' hit her? Helpless? Bass turned his head away from the scientist, closing his eyes sadly. He didn't like feeling helpless, and he certainly didn't want to get used to it like his operator had.

"How about we put you back in your PET, hm?"

" _Okay..._ "

* * *

Eva rubbed her right hand to get feeling back into it. Although the burn did not look that bad, it had left her with mild nerve damage, permanently. Every once and awhile, she'd lose feeling in one of her hands then the uncontrollable shaking happened, then the slight pin-pricks of pain. She had learned that by rubbing the hand that lost feeling, the shaking wouldn't happen. But it did make her more noticeable, some people sending her sympathetic looks, believing that she was a PTSD victim. The golden-blonde sighed as those looks came from an adult couple that walked passed her, then murmured softly once they believed they were far enough away that she wouldn't hear. That was another thing, the whispers and mutters. People trying to guess what had happened to her to make her like that. Or what she did to herself. The young operator would get glares from some people if they saw her palms. Like they believed she was a suicidal lunatic. Fine. Let them think that. She didn't care.

She just wanted her partner back. At least with him around, it would make the mutters feel less hurtful. Mike came out of the coffee shop she was sitting outside of with a cup coffee and a plastic cup full of peppermint tea. He set her tea down then sat down opposite of her, a concerned look on his face

"How's your hand," The ginger asked, starting up a conversation and implying that he had seen her massaging her hand.

"The hand's fine," His friend replied, looking away and clasping her hands on her lap.

She honestly did look like a PTSD victim, her normal personality having taken a turn after the accident. The older student completely believed that what had happened was her fault, following a lead that could have easily been a trap and damaged her Navi because of it.

"Drink your tea."

Without looking, Eva brought her hand over the table and pushed the cup away a bit before hiding her hand once again. With the depression came the lack of appetite most track runners were at risk of. Many liked the fact that they were thinner and often starved themselves to stay thin, a good weight for a trackstar fat to them. But Mike knew he didn't have to worry about that, the blonde in front of him took good care of herself, except for now. The younger boy sighed softly then took a sip of his coffee. The two sat like that for almost an hour when the golden-blonde stood up and grabbed her tea.

"Thanks for staying with me, I've got to go."

"What are friends for?" Quickman's partner replied with a smirk, his green eyes twinkling with their normal mischief.

The older female smirked back but it didn't reach her eyes. She waved then walked away from the cafe and headed home, keeping her hand free hand in her pocket. She really had to invest in gloves, to get the attention off her. There was no car following her anymore since she could take care of herself and because of the fact that she could easily lose them if she wanted. However, she didn't take her usually shortcuts, instead heading back home the direct route. Once she was through the door, the young operator went straight to her room, not saying hello to her aunt as she passed. A few seconds later, her father and uncle came home, having finished work early. Before the amber-eyed male could get very far, Edward grabbed his sleeve then gave him a stern look, prompting the younger male to sigh in annoyance.

"Okay, okay. I'll go," Nicholas grumbled, his brother-in-law letting go of his sleeve at that and walking passed him, "Is Eva home yet, Katerine?"

"Yes," Edward's wife growled, glaring at the young scientist, "And she was still upset. Didn't even say hi to me."

Nick rolled this eyes then walked up the stairs to his daughter's room. Finding it unlocked, he walked in, finding her on her bed then placed her PET face down on her lap. Instead of grabbing it right away, the golden-blonde glanced at it then looked up at her father and raised a brow. The father huffed in annoyance when she asked for the catch, but was kind of glad his daughter knew him so well.

"You'll need to avoid danger as best you can. That, and I want you to stop moping."

Eva smirked in reply then nodded, her eyes still sad. Her hands still didn't go to the handheld and the scientist got the message, turning and walking out of her room. Once he was gone, the golden-blonde reached for her device, jerking her hand back when it started shaking. She sighed in annoyance, irritated that she had massage it for the fifth time that day, getting a surprise as she did so.

"That zap really did some damage, huh?..."

The young operator jumped in surprise then looked at her PET closely, noticing that it was on, "Bass? This thing's on?"

"Heheh… _Yeah_ , it's on. Hey."

"Hey yourself," His partner greeted back as she picked her personal device up and turned it so she could see the screen, remembering how he greeted her like that the first time they met.

Instead of chuckling like she thought he would, the cloaked warrior huffed in amusement and smiled softly, worry in his eyes.

"Something wrong?"

Bass started to say something then stopped and looked away for a second then looked back, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, "Actually, kind of..."

"What is it," The young blonde wondered in concern, her brows furrowing slightly.

"I… This is hard to say, I just wanted to apologize..."

"What?" Eva blinked in surprise, taken off guard by his statement, "Why? _I_ should be the one apologizing."

"Annnd, by what... possible logic... gave you that idea?"

"I made us follow that lead," The golden-blonde set the PET down then brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs as her eyes drifted to the left, " _I_ suggested that we try to find out about your past. _I_ made you feel like had to touch that damn file when I said it was up to you. _I-_ "

"Remember when I complained that you never give yourself enough credit?" The cloaked Navi interrupted, a stern but sympathetic look on his face, "Well now you're giving yourself too _much_ blame. We're _both_ guilty for the trouble we got ourselves in. I wanted to say sorry for the scars I gave you."

"Oh... Hheheheheh!~"

The ebony warrior chuckled as he watched her laugh, sorry he had made such a pretty girl feel pain like that then disappear. Though, granted, his disappearance wasn't his fault. The solo fighter lost his small smile and looked at the blue ground by his feet. How the hell did he get into this predicament? Oh, yeah… That. Being plugged up to a computer to be uploaded to it while his power was transferred to the robot, Zero, wasn't a very fun experience. He sighed softly at the memory, catching his operator attention.

"Something on your mind," She wondered, grabbing the PET again then moved around to lay back against the headrest of her bed, "You suddenly became solemn."

"...I was just thinking about my past. You know, I wasn't the most _loyal_ of creations. Hell, I even betrayed my own _creator_ on multiple occasions."

"And you think that because of your past, you're going to betray me," The young operator finished understandingly, smiling softly at him with sisterly love, "Let me ask you this; what is the definition of loyalty?"

"A strong feeling of support or allegiance, why?"

"You're not going to betray me, because you feel so strongly against it," Eva answered softly, her soft smile never fading, "You've made a bond with me, and likewise, I have as well."

"Really?"

"Mph.~ To me, you're like a brother. An annoying, cocky ass brother who brushes me off, loves to argue and bite off more than he can chew in a fight~."

"Yeah, well you can be a bitchy little sister, you know that?!" Bass shot back as he cracked up laughing, his previous doubts having all but vanished, "Besides, you love to argue too, otherwise you wouldn't go along with it!"

The two laughed together in the room, the heavy atmosphere lifting as their moods changed, almost forgetting why they had been sad. When they eventually calmed down, the former Robot Master began informing his partner about his past, cutting out at lot of unimportant things to save time. After he finished off his tale, the topic went onto the problem they had been dealing with for the past few weeks. World Three. Needless to say, he was surprised to hear that things had been quiet in the town, not so surprised to hear it was the opposite for everywhere else.

"Ya have a plan, I suppose," The cloaked Navi asked eventually, crossing his arms and leaning against a green panel.

"Mph. Send an email to Chaud and request what we should do, inform him that we're mission capable again," Eva ordered with a grunt then her expression became concerned and hesitant, "If you _are_ ready to go back on the field, that is..."

"Heh, you know me, always ready for a good fight," Her partner snorted in response, a cocky smirk on his face, "I'm on it. Won't take long."

The golden-blonde set her PET down then slipped off her bed and got a book from her bookcase then returned, the ebony warrior stating that he sent the email when she came back. The young operator replied that they just had to wait for a reply then sat on the edge of her bed and began reading her book. They didn't have to wait long, at least seven or eight minutes, for the Official to reply.

 _As a matter of fact, yes. Good to know you and Bass are ready for the field again. Protoman's informed me of Bass' hacking ability and, with a little digging, we've learned of his title as "The Black Shadow" in the Undernet. With these, we should be able to find World Three's server address, which will take us to their headquarters. I'm sending the coordinates for the rendezvous. ~ Chaud Blaze_

"Pfftt, that's a silly title," Bass snorted, having read along with her.

"I think it's a pretty good one. And fitting," His 'sister' grinned, finding his amusement catchy.

" _Why_ am I _not_ surprised?..."

Eva giggled softly, sticking her tongue out at him once she calmed down a bit. The ebony fighter sighed and shook his head in exasperation when the PET beeped, letting them know an email was sent.

"Coordinates are here. He also sent the time we should arrive."

"Five o'clock tomorrow?" The golden-blonde read out loud, blinking in surprise after she opened the message, "That's certainly early. And excessive."

"Remember when you told him that Nick's not all that tolerant," The sable Navi pointed out, resting his elbow in the palm of his hand as he leaned against one of the info panels again, "He may be just making it easier for you."

"Good point. Anyway, let's get ready for tomorrow then get some sleep."

"Alright, night."

"Night."

Sneak-peek: Chapter 8- Testing Trust

"Good idea. Think I'll do the same, at least I'll be doing something _proactive._ "

"Clearly, they don't grasp the meaning of _inconspicuous..._ "

"Well, I could have, but then I wouldn't be able to have my way with you…~"

"Betrayals? What… Betrayals?..."

* * *

No fighting in this chapter, just an explanation for why Bass. EXE isn't like how he is in the games. So, yeah, he's actually from the far past. Or his memory is anyway. Edward and Eva's mother removed his memories when they found him in an old computer to prevent bringing him back the same as he was all those millennia ago. Also, I think a good theme song for him would be Wrong Side of Heaven by Five Finger Death Punch. If you can think of a better song, leave a review and I'll change it in a future chapter. Leave a review and let me know what I can do to improve! 'Till then, see y'all later! Bye for now! ;)


	9. Chapter 8- Testing Trust

Chapter 8- Testing Trust

At 3 a.m in the morning of a weekend, Eva's white PET vibrated in her hand, prompting her to slowly wake up. She sat up then stretched with a yawn and rubbed her eyes to wake herself up more, Bass waiting patiently for the young blonde to wake up completely, a little drowsy himself since he had to stay up all night just to wake her up on time. But it was fine, they had planned this the whole day yesterday, so he could spare a few hours of sleep. The young operator slid off her bed with her personal terminal in hand then walked over to her computer desk and plugged the device into its charger.

"Go into sleep mode, Bass. You can wake up when you're ready."

The tired Navi nodded reply then disappeared as he slipped into sleep. The light-haired female turned away then walked into her bathroom, starting her usual morning routine. By the time she stepped out, she had her hair pulled into a ponytail and braided. She also cast aside her usual light-colored attire for darker clothes. A navy blue, buttoned down blouse with slightly see-through sleeves covered her PET belt while the jet black jeans made her knee-high battle boots blend in slightly. To add to the look, the young female put on ruby red lipstick, giving her a casual look for a normal girl her age but the air around her gave a nice 'don't fuck with me' touch. After she was done getting herself ready, the young blonde slipped into her computer chair then spent the remaining time looking up the rendezvous point' location, checking out the surrounding area and the building they would be standing outside of, positioned on the left side of the abandoned factory. What was with everyone and their fascination with abandoned buildings? Bewildered, Eva shook her head slightly at her thought then continued researching until it was three minutes to four a.m. She turned her computer off then removed her handheld from the charger and slipped out of her open window, sliding down the low roof below then dropped soundlessly onto the green grass. Three minutes later, the taxi she called pulled up, giving her an odd look as she got in.

"You're a little young to be going into the city this early, don't you think?"

The golden-blonde ignored the irritated tone in the driver's voice and handed him the hand full of Zenny ahead of time, so she wouldn't take as long getting out, "My brother skimped out on an important business meeting and I was informed last minute that I would take his place representing our company. Troublesome..."

She made sure to add a bit of 'no more questions' tone in her voice as she told the fib she practiced last night. It was a fib because she did, in fact, _have_ an older brother and he _had_ skimped on a business meeting before but that was a long time ago. He hadn't done something like it for the years he had been in their company. With a nod, the driver stepped on the gas and lead them out of Otaru then passed the boundaries of DenTech City, hitting very little- if not no- traffic during these early hours. Finally, the taxi stopped outside the rendezvous point, the vehicle's tires screeching on the blacktop lightly.

"You sure this is where you want me to drop you off at, lady," The driver questioned, sticking his head out of the yellow mobile and gaze a skeptical look around as his passenger slipped out of the back seat.

"I _certainly_ can't appear at the meeting in a _cab,_ now can I?" She retorted with a fake tone of superiority in her voice as she closed the taxi's side door then shooed towards him without turning around, "I'll walk the rest of the way, thank you."

The driver snorted angrily then peeled away, a cloud of smoke engulfing the young girl. Eva sighed in annoyance then stepped out of the cloud and made her way to the exact coordinates Chaud sent, being fifteen minutes early. By that time, Bass had just gotten out of sleep mode.

"I'm back," He chirped, ready to get started on the mission.

"Should've just slept in a bit longer," His 'sibling' chuckled softly, taking a seat on a large rock, "We're going to waiting for a while."

"Eh, just means I can scout the area."

"Good idea. Think I'll do the same, at least I'll be doing something _proactive._ "

"Ahheheheheh… Sure it's not just doing something active that's really caught your attention?~" The cloaked warrior joked, grinning mischievously as he spoke.

"Ah-hahaha. Very funny…."

"Hheheheheheh!"

* * *

Seventeen minutes later, it was slightly past five and the young Official was running late. In that, Eva and Bass had scouted the area without incident, with the small exception with the ebony Navi when he got chased away from the Undernet entrance for getting too close, since he'd never seen it before. Besides that, it had been extremely uneventful, to the point where the cloaked warrior struck up a conversation with the Navi who had chased him away. Five minutes after that was when the partners began to worry.

"It's not like him to not be on time," Eva muttered, debating with herself if she should go around to the front to look for him.

"Could just be traffic, it is getting later and traffic _does_ start to pick up around now," Her 'brother' offered, his arms folded in front of him casually, "But I could always go onto the main Net and search for them if you want."

"That won't be necessary..."

Bass started at the new voice then quickly calmed and turned and half-waved to Protoman as he walked up, flanked by two other Official Navis. Likewise, Chaud was being followed as well, though it was clear he didn't like it.

"Clearly, they don't grasp the meaning of _inconspicuous_ ," The golden-blonde called over once he was close enough so she wouldn't have to yell.

"Or maybe we just don't trust you _Navi_ ," One of the two Officials retorted, both having jackets with the words 'Official NB' in bold on the front and back.

Unlike them, the young male had an attire similar to the older Netbattler. Dark red jacket with no words, black top and camo cargo pants in various shades of grey. The young blonde rose a brow at the one who had spoken, an unimpressed/undeterred look on her face.

"Chaud gave a report of the accident," The visored Navi informed the darker fighter in front of him.

"Comes with the job of an Official," Bass replied, brushing off the explanation, "No harm done."

Eva smirked softly towards the white-and-black haired boy as she got her PET out, letting him know she felt the same. Both 'siblings' noticed that bright red Official had said 'accident' instead of incident but chose to say nothing about it.

"Are we getting started or not?" The noisy Official asked impatiently, the other Official seeming to be mute.

"If you're going to talk, be more quiet," The cloaked warrior snapped, irritated that this 'Official' was more interested in talking then doing his _job._

Before anyone else could make a move or say anything, the former Robot Master turned and brought up a panel, tapping somethings before swiping it away again. A crack appeared slightly in front and to the left of him, growing in size until it was like a door, surprising the two uninvited Officials. The sable Navi turned again and informed the others that it was a shortcut link to the Undernet, instructing them to go through and that he'd enter after them.

"Why don't you go through first, show us that it's safe," The talkative Official's partner snapped, placing a hand on her hip.

"Because if I do," Bass replied slowly, trying his best not to facepalm at their idiocy, "The shortcut will close behind me..."

"Shortcut links are unstable, able to exist only if the one who made it is in the same server," Chaud explained, shooting an irritated look at the older male, "Something you and Rev should know since you're hackers, Jackson."

"Apparently not very good ones, then," The cloaked warrior muttered, something only he and Protoman heard since the red melee fighter was walking passed him at that moment.

The visored Official threw a quick look at him that didn't carry much meaning before passing through the rip. The other two Officials went through as well, followed shortly by the darker addition of the group. The rift closed behind him, the Undernet stretching out in front of them. The Officials armed themselves while the former Wily bot moved to the front, on high alert as he moved. Even if you were powerful and quite feared down here, there were still those who wished to prove themselves and attack as soon as they got a chance. Mostbeing pretty powerful themselves.

* * *

"I'm going to patrol the area," Eva informed as she put her PET back in its holder.

"You were here before us, didn't think to scope out the area first?" Jackson sneered, a judging looking in his dark eyes.

"I did," The golden-blonde replied with a bit more bite in her tone then she realized, a sneer of her own on her lips and her coppery eyes narrowed dangerously, "But a lot can happen in twenty minutes, Ashton. Next time you want to tag along, don't be extra luggage." (A.N: She pronounced Ashton as Asston)

Chaud had to bite his tongue to stop himself snorting at her clever insult and instead sent her a disapproving look. The older male scowled at being called luggage and started to snap back at her when the other adult male pushed him out of the way, giving Jackson an annoyed look. He turned to look back at the golden-blonde, who stood with authority in her body language. 'I can see why World Three wants her gone. She has the same kind of confidence Chaud does.'

"You were attacked before," The 'mute' began, stopping his approach once he was just out of arms distance, "I don't believe it would be wise for you to go off by yourself, I'll go with you."

'This isn't a choice I have,' The young female thought, looking him in the eyes with hers narrowed thoughtfully, 'I didn't realize he was just really quiet… But that doesn't matter now...' "Fine, just keep. I have a pretty fast walking pace."

"You got it, lead on."

The dark-eyed Official watched the two walk off until he lost sight of them once they turned the corner then turned to the younger male, who had never lifted his head from his PET, "Did she insult me and curse at me with one word?"

"Idiot..."

" _What?_..."

* * *

"My name's Kark."

"I'd introduce myself as well, but seeing as how you knew that I was attacked, you probably already know my full name."

"Yes, but something tells me you don't like going by your first name."

"You're certainly observant," Eva noted with a small smile on her face, "But you'd be right. I prefer Eva. You're being chatty."

"I don't speak much around superiors," The Official replied, a passive smile of his own on his face, "Which is Chaud, believe it or not."

"I believe it. He seems used to others following orders. Protoman as well."

"That's another thing," Kark replied, looking up at the windows higher up as he talked, "I'm a bit surprised by how well Protoman and your Navi get along. He usually doesn't like socializing with civilian Navis, believing that they only get in the way..."

The younger Netbattler snorted in amusement, thinking of how Bass saw security Navis in a similar light, "Bass thinks the same thing of security Navis. I think it may be out of respect."

"That, or the fact that you two take orders pretty well..."

The golden-blonde smiled a bit at that, the smile falling almost immediately once her gaze landed on something that hadn't been there the first time she patrolled the area. She braked practically on a dime, her copper-hazel eyes narrowed suspiciously at the open, unboarded up, door. The older male nearly ran into her then followed her gaze to see what she was looking at, his hand traveling to his laser pistol on his waist out of instinct.

"What is it?"

"That door wasn't open before," Eva growled as she began to stalk forward quickly yet quietly, "Do you have a gun on you?..."

The Official only grunted in reply, pulling out his pistol as he speed-walked after her. The young female picked up a wooden board off the ground without breaking her stride then stopped before the entrance then slowly stuck her hand passed the door, and when no bullets or laser struck it, she continued through with the thick wooden object held up slightly. Kark walked in after her, pointing to the left of the first floor then pointing himself and pointing in the opposite direction. The girl only nodded her head, understanding what he meant, then started in the direction he ordered her in, swinging the board loosely by her side as she walked. Dust started to drift into the air from the wind it made, catching the young operator's attention. 'The abandoned research center was dusty too, even though people were using the building.' She thought as she watched the particles float around before settling down once again. Her gaze drifted towards the ground where they laid upon the prints in the thick dust. Her eyes widened as a realization came to mind, as well as an idea.

' _That's_ how Chaud found me, my feet made prints which lead him to the room we were in!' The golden-blonde narrowed her eyes as she turned and started over to the stairs she had seen when she came in, 'And I'm willing to bet that whoever entered here also left footprints!' Her hands started to pin-prick with numbness when she reached the top of the stairs but squeezing the board in her grip repeatedly helped push the pain away. Eva followed the foot prints to yet another open door, something that set off the girl's danger bells. Raising her makeshift bat into a ready position, she warily stepped into the room, her body language warning against anyone coming up to her from behind. An open window caught her attention and she cautiously made her way over to it, walking like she was walking on glass. The young blonde rose a brow when she looked out of the see-through object, being able to Chaud and Jackson from where she stood.

'Someone was watching us? Most likely a World Three member. But where did he-?' The click of hammer of a handgun being pulled back cut through not only the air but her thoughts as well. The girl lowered her weapon then turned her head slightly to glare over her shoulder at the man holding her at was an old-fashioned gun, much like its owner. The guy was a scruffy looking fellow but strong nonetheless, a cocky grin on his shaggy face. Loose, baggy clothes hung off his body but it was probably to hid the muscle, a clever facade.

"Drop the board," The terrorist ordered, the golden-blonde doing as told without little hesitation, "Good girl.~ So, you're the girl who took down four World Three operatives. That's impressive. You know, the doctor only said that he wanted you gone, he _never_ specified _how.~_ "

At that, his cocky expression gained a suggestive tone, his lustful eyes looking up and down her preteen body. 'Disgusting old man,' Eva thought with a scowl then turned her head to look out the window once more. Unfortunately, the creep took the movement for an invitation to come closer, his gun arm never wavering from its raised position.

"So you watched us?" The young operator began, offering a conversation to stall for time, "I'm surprised you didn't just call for backup once you saw that it was just us four."

"Well, I could have, but then I wouldn't be able to have my way with you…~"

'Ick, gag me.' "So you're all alone? No one else with you?"

"Why would I need others for a simple spying mission?" He laughed, close enough to trail his hand down her back, which is what he was doing that second, "Besides, if others were around, they'd want me to share.~ Or just kill you. Depends."

'How lucky of me...' The young female rolled her eyes then turned her head to look at him again, the scuzzball taking the opportunity to brush her cheek with his fingers, "One last question; Where's the third Official?"

Confused, the terrorist lifted his gaze to look out the window, seeing Chaud and Jackson but not Kark standing outside. He blinked then narrowed his eyes, wondering if he counted right. The sound of a laser pistol warming up snapped him out of his thoughts.

" _Let me help you with that question..._ "

Eva looked passed the scruffy criminals' body and smirked at the quiet Official standing in the doorway, his glare icy and his gun steady, no sign that he'd hesitate in pulling the trigger, "Glad that I bought you time?"

"Very. Now I'm the one giving you an opportunity."

The young female grunted in reply then twisted her body and delivered a strong punch to the perverts' gut then grabbed his head and slammed it into the table next to him as her bent to hold his stomach. Kark put his pistol away as the World Three member slumped to the ground in a tangled mess. The golden-blonde shook herself off, feeling a tiny bit dirty just from someone like him touching her, even if he didn't touch her anywhere _important._

"You okay?"

"Yeah," The young Netbattler looked at the crumpled body of the 'homeless' man and scowled, "But I'll be better once he's behind bars..."

"He will be, for a long time," The adult male replied as he walked over and grabbed the criminal by the arm then lifted him up, "Head on down and head back to the others, I'll catch up after I make sure the police get him."

"Alright."

The preteen turned on her toes and walked passed the Official then out of the room and down the stairs. As she was heading for the door, a flash of color caught her eye. The girl stopped in her tracks then turned and narrowed her eyes at the young woman in the mirror. She narrowed her eyes back, red bangs framing her face and giving it a dangerous look, the ruby red lipstick only adding to the expression. Eva walked closer to mirror and crossed her arms, the woman inside the glassy object mirroring her movements. Coppery-hazel eyes were narrowed coldly with a bit of caution in them, golden-blonde hair flowing down her back and looking professional in her dark attire with her posture straight. Everything was the same but there was something about the woman that made the red-banged female not recognize herself. The young operator furrowed her brows and cocked her head to the side slightly. There we go. No the woman in the mirror looked a bit more like her.

"You okay?"

The golden-blonde looked up to see Kark coming down the stairs dragging the unconscious body of the terrorist along. She grunted in reply then looked back at the mirror, the young woman in the no longer there but herself once again. 'Weird...'

"I'm okay. Just got distracted by something. Since I'm already down here, might as well help you see him out."

"Suit yourself."

* * *

"Rev, enough."

" _What?_ I'm _just_ saying that we should be a _bit_ more on guard around him!"

"He's also right in front of us, just like _Protoman is_ ," Domino, Kark's Navi, hissed, glaring at Jackson's partner in annoyance.

"They're not even paying attention," The female Official shot back, gesturing to the two in front who were more interested in their surroundings than whatever gossip was going on behind them, "Stop being so paranoid. You're _so_ much like your operator, it's annoying."

"Hypocrite much?" The black and white Official retorted, raising a brow at her, "In both cases?"

"What do you mean by _that?!_ " Rev snapped, turning completely to look at him as she stopped since the two up front stopped as well.

Bass turned his attention away from the power he and the visored Navi felt and looked over his shoulder in annoyance. He had, in fact, heard everything she had been saying but simply tuned her out, paying more attention to the task at hand. His eyes widened when he noticed a large Spiky virus stalking behind the other two Officials, red eyes shiny at the prospect of a kill. 'How did that get there?!' That was all the time he had before the Spiky leapted forward, jaws open wide to crush down on its target. Thinking fast, the cloaked warrior teleported from the melee fighter's side and re-appeared behind Rev, one arm up to intercept the would-be killing blow while his other arm formed into his Dark Arm Blade. The electric blue virus bit down hard on the object in front of it, its brain not picking up what was happening right away. The former Robot Master gritted his teeth in pain then swung his arm down, pinning the virus to the ground so it wouldn't escape as he plunged the dark energy sword in its chest.

"HOLY SHIT!" Domino yelped, spinning around to watch the Spiky disappear into deletion, both surprised by the sudden appearance of the dangerous virus and the reaction timing of the Navi in front of him.

The female Navi spun around as well but her legs gave out before she could she could completely about-face, grunting when something wacked her in the back of the head. She was about to complain when Protoman came into her line of vision as he walked over to the darker fighter.

" _Pay attention._ Bass."

The cloaked warrior stood up from his crouched position at his name then turned to look at the visored Official and accepted the Recovery data he held out, "Go scout ahead. Make sure that Navi is alone."

"Right, I won't be long."

With that, Bass vanished in a white flash of light, leaving the three Officials temporarily. At that moment, Eva and Kark appeared around the corner, the latter asking what they missed.

"You two certainly took awhile," Jackson noted, looking up from his PET with an irritated expression, "Bass just deleted a Spiky, no big deal… But I guess he just couldn't hold in his anger anymore."

"Something tells me you made that last part up last minute," The golden-blonde muttered under her breath as she passed him then pulled out her PET and checked up on her 'brother'.

The arrogant Official started to snap back when the 'Black Shadow' returned to the group with a flash, a solemn, almost irritated expression.

"He's alone alright, but the trip is a long way, I don't if he'll still be there when we arrive."

"How many can you take with you when you teleport," Chaud questioned, his eyes cast to the side as he thought.

"Just two, since _I_ have to be touching them," The cloaked warrior replied without hesitating to think.

"Bring Rev and Domino. Protoman."

"Understood," The red Official stated before his partner could continue and before anyone could say or move, he was off.

Bass barely started in surprise then turned to the other two Officials, noticing that only one of them was okay with the plan. Before the female Official could say anything, he grabbed her shoulder roughly, a bit less as harsh with Domino, then teleported to the cyber-terrorists' location. Without another word, the solo fighter turned away from them then teleported again, this time re-appearing next to the World Three Navi. Before the enemy could react, the former Robot Master grabbed him by the shoulder then spun around and threw him into the ground a few feet away. The terrorist groaned in pain and laid still in the small crater he created, trying to come to terms with what just happened and how he should react. Unfortunately for him, the 'Black Shadow' appeared before him once again and placed his foot on the torso of the fallen Navi, effectively pinning him to the pixel ground. The ebony warrior calmly leaned forward and folded his arms on his raised knee, forming his Dark Arm Blade and placing more weight onto the enemy in one smooth motion.

"How about you make this easy one everyone and tell us where the World Three server is, hm," Bass hummed casually, though Eva knew that this was just a facade that could easily and quickly turn into an aggressive interrogation.

"And why would I?!"

Movement caught the darker Navis' attention and he leaned back as Protoman came walking up, a Hero Sword still at his side. The visored Official stopped at the cyber-terrorists' shoulder then moved his sword arm swiftly, causing the point of the deadly sword to hover over their enemies' emblem.

"Speak and you may get out of this alive," Chaud's partner answered emotionlessly, his mouth guard stopping the terrorist fromer seeing his expression.

"O-okay," The World Three Navi stuttered with wide eyes, trying to press himself further into the ground to escape the sword but to no avail, "L-let me think..."

'Why does it feel like that's not what you're really doing...' The darker warrior thought, narrowing his eyes as his sixth sense went off. As the captured enemy was giving directions along with prolonged silences, Domino and Rev passed by, one walking to stand behind the red Official while the other stood off to the side slightly. As soon as the female hacker moved behind the melee fighter, Bass' back stiffened slightly, the air behind him tense. The same way the air felt when an attack was about to be made. The cloaked Navi turned his head slightly to look over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing even more at what he saw. The part of the leg armor that covered the knee had lengthened and sharpened, perfect for stabbing into an unexpecting opponent.

'Clever...' Eva brought her eyes away from the screen and looked at the others without turning her head. None of them noticed the up-coming danger nor the change in the atmosphere. Without turning her gaze back to her PET, she gave him the order to continue.

The former Robot Master twisted around just as the criminal started to lift his leg up, the dark energy blade piercing through the armor and pinning the weaponized leg to the ground. The terrorist groaned in agony but didn't dare arch his back, the knowledge that a sharp object hovered over his heart fresh in his mind. The other two elite Navis stiffened in surprise, not knowing where that sudden preemptive strike came from nor why until they looked at the terrorists' legs, seeing the long spike-like blade curving over the knee.

"The next time you go for a sneak attack," The 'Black Shadow' growled under his breath, twisting the blade a bit to cause more pain, "Make sure your opponent is distracted..."

Rev looked over at Kark's partner and mouthed what they had both been wondering. The bi-colored Navi glanced at Bass and Protoman, satisfied that they were both preoccupied, then walked off a distance but not too far away in case something else unexpected happened.

"Think it was some kind of advanced spatial awareness thing," The female Navi pondered once she reached his side.

"More like a seasoned sixth sense," The black-and-white Official answered, casting his gaze over to the cloaked fighter once more, "I wonder just how many sneak attacks and betrays he went through..."

'Betrayals?...' The hacker cast her gaze down, a concerned frown gracing her features, "Betrayals? What… Betrayals?..."

Before either could say anything else, a half cry of pain cut through the digital air quickly followed by the sound of deletion. The two turned then started back, guessing by their body language that the cyber-terrorist had broke and revealed what they wanted to know, instead of the latter option.

"The World Three server is in coordinates 5bz3-23ewa01," Protoman informed once the other Officials were close enough.

"I know that area," Rev stated, looking in between both experienced fighters, "The only problem is that we'll need an access card to get in, but first, we'll need to get passed the need to get passed the numerous patrols in the surrounding area."

"I can get us to the server gate, opening it is another thing entirely," Bass offered, not wanting to try his luck at hacking into the server since a number of things could go wrong.

'Access card?...' Eva took her gaze away from the screen once again and examined the ground by her foot thoughtfully, 'Could be what Hannah's card was for?...' Moment caught Chaud's attention, making him look up at the golden-blonde standing a few feet in front of him and slightly off to the side. 'Did she think of something?'

"Think of something?"

"Maybe..." The older Netbattler replied, her eyes narrowing a bit as she reached into the pocket of her jeans then brought out the card she slipped from brunette's knocked-out body, "Hannah had this on her the night she and two others attack my friend and I. Think this could help?"

The white-and-black haired boy took the card from her outstretched hand and looked it over, reading the wording in his head. W3 Axess. 'I have to admit, to an untrained eye, that's pretty clever,' The youngest Official thought, slipping the card into the download slot.

"Protoman, can you confirm?"

The red Navi flipped the data in his hand almost as soon as it materialized, scanning it as ordered to. Going unnoticed by everyone else, the former Robot Master flinched slightly, a short flashback of the cause for his 'breakdown' flashing before him. The cloaked fighter blinked rapidly as to not draw attention to himself, recovering just before the visored Official okayed the card.

"Bass."

The solo warrior nodded in reply then turned and brought up the keypad when he got another brief flashback. An inaudible sigh passed his lips but he didn't falter nor did he stop from doing his task. A rip formed next to him and enlarged into the size of a door, just like last time. Once again, Protoman was the first through, followed by Domino then Rev, the female throwing him a quick look before going through the shortcut link. Bass rose a brow, slowly moving forward. A thought the glance was quick, it almost looked like she was… sympathetic? The former Wily bot shook his head before he was all the way through, coming out to see the red elite walking up to World Three's server gate. The access card materialized in his hand, already reacting to the server's entrance. The sable fighter formed the Acid Blast then rose off the ground a few feet, opting to ambush an patrols that get too close instead of the other way around. Once the gate accepted the card data, Protoman's head whipped to the side, his eyes narrowing behind his visor. Who would send Chaud an email now? At the same time, the cloaked warrior cocked his head, having felt something be sent to his operators' PET as well.

"You've received an email, Chaud."

"As have you, Eva," Bass informed, his eyes narrowing as he spoke.

Both Netbattlers looked up at each other, their eyes narrowed as well. The email was simple, but rushed. Apparently whoever sent it had been found out ahead of time and was panicking as they hid and typed. There was no signature. Instead, coordinates to World Three's hideout as attached to the messy email. After jacking out their Navis, the two rushed to the young Official's limo and took off to stop Wily's plan, leaving Jackson and Kark to investigate the terrorist organizations' server with their Navis.

Sneak-peek: Chapter 9- The Life Virus

" _Then you know that he just gets in the way…_ Come on."

"I could say the same to you."

"Her Navi will corrupt her. Or kill her. Either one. Just you watch..."

"Hey, easy. I'm on your side, promise."

* * *

This next chapter will be interesting… Hehe...


	10. Chapter 9- End of the Line

Chapter 9- The Life Virus

It took almost three hours to reach World Three's lair, the time they had left DenTech City having been 5:59 am, so it was no surprise when the two practically leapt out barely before the limo came to a stop. The entrance was a large skull on the side of a mountain deep within the jungle several miles outside the city. Guards as well as crates stood outside the terrorists' base of operations, armed to the teeth with not only guns but machetes and grenades. Eva lead the way, not only faster than Chaud but had sharper eyesight and faster reflexes. They reached a row of crates by the entrance, two guards armed with semi-automatic rifles standing a few feet in front of the metal, double set door. The Official's PET beeped quietly as an email came in, Protoman informing his partner who sent it with a certain tone in his voice the golden-blonde never heard from him before. Bass had before, but not… to this extent...

" _Lan..._ " The younger Netbattler all but growled in annoyance as he took out his handheld to examine the email.

"I saw his name while I was searching for others who were also singled out by World Three," The older female stated, raising a brow at his tone.

" _Then you know that he just gets in the way…_ Come on."

The two crept along the crates, stopping when they no longer had any cover. The monochrome-haired male looked at the female behind him then gestured to the guards with his head then started towards the jack-in port by the metal doors. Eva nodded in reply then circled around the crates towards the armed men, slowly speeding up as she got closer but made sure to remain quiet. Once she was in reach, the young blonde took two quick lunges then dropped down and spun with her leg stretched out, 360 leg sweeping them then popped back up as she was still spinning and gave the guard closer to her a strong kick to the side. The two bounced on the ground and rolled with a grunt before laying in a heap, groaning in pain. The golden-blonde walked over to them calmly then grabbed them by their heads and shoved down with all her weight placed behind the blow.

"It's open, come on."

The older Netbattler spun at Chaud's voice then jogged over to him, taking the lead once again as he let her pass. However, their progress was quickly put to a halt when they reached a fork in the road. Literally. As the red-streaked female was judging each path carefully, the younger male behind her spoke up.

"I better go find Lan, make sure he didn't get himself killed." Eva turned to face him with a raised brow. "Go stop Wily, I'll catch up."

"Are you positive?"

"Yes, you're faster and quieter than me, you won't be noticed."

With that, the Official took off down the right corridor, leaving the blonde by herself. As she slowly ran down the lair, she suddenly felt like a soldier infiltrating an enemy base then snickered softly when she remembered her thoughts as she turned away from Nathan's family. The young female thought once again that it fit well as she slipped into an unused room and jacked Bass into the hideouts' Cyberspace.

"Be careful," The former Robot Master warned before heading out to find the Life Virus.

"I could say the same to you," His 'sister' replied curtly before turning away from the jack-in port and jogging out of the room… right into the path of two armed World Three members.

Thinking quickly, the light-eyed Netbattler grabbed the machine gun and pulled herself over, kicking the terrorist twice in his face as she hopped over his arms. She then spun around as fast as she could with the heavy weapon held tightly in her hands and nailed the other male in the gut with the butt of the gun. Dropping the butt of a machine gun on someone's head, doesn't really need to be held up high or not, is actually a brilliant way to knock your opponent unconscious, believe it or not. Eva turned away from the two sleeping bodies and jogged down the rest of the corridor, checking each side corridor carefully as she moved.

* * *

Unlike in the real world, the Cyberspace was surprisingly empty. Most likely dealing with that Megaman Navi his sister told him about. He was still a bit put off that Mega Man was still alive, to an extent, but not really bothered. Nonetheless, Bass had encountered a few single World Three security Navis and even less of the Navis operated by a terrorist. Unlike what he would have done if he wasn't as experienced or in the past, the 'Black Shadow' tried his best to be like his name, being cautious at every turn and not exactly looking for a fight every second. Didn't mean that he would turn away from a fight should he encountered one; the less Navis World Three had, the better.

Eventually, he reached a large clearing with a green, spider-like virus with cumbersome hands. Down by the legs was a red laser-like addition and a type of Aura was flickering every once in a while, discouraging anyone from attacking it. Except Bass. With an undeterred sneer, the cloaked warrior to a step forward when the sound of a sword cutting through the digital air caught his attention. The former Wily bot spun to the side then plunged his own sword through the enemy Navis' shoulder blades, gasping in surprise when he looked forward.

* * *

(A good song to listen to; Everybody Knows by Sigrid)

After evading a couple more guards, the maze-like hallways suddenly became devoid of life, save for the golden-blonde with red bangs. Opposite of the effect this would have given anyone else, Eva became even warier then she had been already, now creeping around corners instead of her previous jogging pace. Eventually, she turned a corner and came face-to-face with a long corridor lined with guards. Who… were unarmed?… The young teen rose a brow at this before continuing cautiously, warily looking each terrorist over as she passed them, her hand on her PET as a warning and as a safety line. She reached another corner, a large room passed it with the doors wide open. Just like before, there were World Three members lined up to make a path for her, two of which she recognized; Count Zap and Starman's operator.

The other four, however, she never met before. The two closest to her was a woman who was probably in her twenties with ginger hair tied up in poofy pigtails and wore way too much makeup. The other was a strong looking male with long, bright red hair and a goatee. Standing across from Elecman's operator was a dark-skinned male with facial paint, his dark hair pulled into a short ponytail and wore sports tape on his arms and legs. The final member, standing across from the would-be assassin, was a female but her dark cloak hid every other feature. This put Eva even more on edge, distrusting these bunch and for a good reason. She stood side on from the room with her coppery-hazel eyes narrowed suspiciously, when the young ginger spoke up, her tone friendly with a hint of a playful challenge.

"Hey, come on! None of us are going to bite!~"

The red-banged female narrowed her eyes a bit more before turning and started forward slowly.

"There you go, lassie," The muscular terrorist spoke up next, a thick Scottish accent in his voice, "For a second there, I had thought you forgot how to walk!"

"I would not mock her," The darker member scolded calmly, his body language at ease with his hands together in a pray-like pose, "Keep in mind that she and her Navi defeated a number of World Three operatives by herself and handled a near assassination with calm poise. Quite a feat."

"Eh, her Navi is nothing special," Starman's partner dismissed casually, waving his hand in a carefree way, "Starman practically deleted him with one move!"

"I suppose that's why you ran off, then," Jack asked with disdain clear in his voice, narrowing his blue eyes at the blonde as she passed him, "And why they're in our base right now?"

"Eh-heheheh..."

"Her Navi will corrupt her," The cloaked woman muttered just loud enough to be heard, making the young Netbattler stop in her tracks to give a threatening glare, "Or kill her. Either one. Just you watch..."

"Bitch," Eva breathed quietly before picking up her pace once again.

The leader of World Three stood on top of a small flight of stairs, wearing old-fashioned attire with a red, popped collar. An old-fashioned cane with a skull as the handle completed his look. There was a large steel ball next to him with a large collection of computer screens in front of the old man. The golden-blonde greeted him curtly but kept a softer touch in her tone out of habit as she stopped before the steps, her light eyes narrowed coolly.

"You may call me Lord Wily, if you must address me."

If only he had done the same.

"How about I just call you _terrorist_ ," She snapped, dropping the slight respectful tone she once had as she started up the stairs. Not noticing as the other World Three members calmly walked out of the room.

Once the young teen was halfway up, the balding male turned slightly then gave her a crooked, malicious grin, "You know… The container for the Life Virus isn't exactly unprotected.~"

Just as those words left his lips, the round machine started up, the large depression in the center started warming up. An odd noise filled the air as the madman began to cackle, the young Netbattler widened her eyes as she realized what Mr. Wily meant by his sentence. The machine fired a powerful beam but the girl had already moved out of the way, back-flipping back to the floor below. The destructive beam had practically annihilated the steps where she had been standing, small bits of debris flying around from the force of the overpowered attack. The blonde was off right after seeing the power, preferring to either be a moving target or to get behind some cover. 'If this thing's this bad out here, I wonder how Bass is fairing against the actual virus...'

* * *

The last thing the ebony fighter expected was for such a large virus to be so fast, or for its hands to strike so quickly. He actually suspected a number of speedsters would have gotten hit by that attack if they tried to dart to the side. Luckily, he could teleport. Unluckily, he could teleport. Bass appeared behind the virus then hissed in pain, teleporting again before his opponent could get a hit in. The tiles behind the virus were extremely heated up from the things' movement, the spot where the cloaked warrior had stood for a split second cracked then fell away. The 'Black Shadow' was checking his burned foot on a pixelated pillar before looking over at the overpowered foe with a scowl. He tsked then formed the deadly Acid Blast on his right arm before firing, the things' Aura flickering as it deflected the attack.

"Son of a bitch," The ebony fighter cursed, growling a bit under his breath in aggravation.

The monstrous World Three creation spread its arms out wide then brought its hands together quickly in a strong clap, aimed straight at the 'Black Shadow'. The shockwave made him grunt in surprise and stumble back a step, his Life Aura breaking apart. Satisfied with how open its target now was, the Life Virus fired its beam, missing only slightly when the sable fighter teleported last minute. He tsked again as he brought his Aura back up, irritated that a simple clap acted as a stronger NorthWind. Bass perked up at that thought then turned to the spider-like enemy with a crooked grin. As the virus charged at him again, he summoned his Darkness Overload, knowing that the attack created a strong shockwave as well.

The cloaked warrior tossed the dark ball at the virus then teleported away, letting the blast do its job. Once the virus' Aura was down, the ebony fighter teleported and slashed at the things' head, causing it to shriek in pain. Before former Robot Master could attack again, the Life Virus caught him off guard and swatted him away. Pain erupted throughout his back as he collided into a pillar then spread to the rest of his body as he coughed and wheezed, his breath gone. Not letting him recover, the virus fired its' beam once again, landing a hit on the immobile Navi. Bass flew at least a yard away then bounced off the tiled ground and rolled a few more feet to a stop, where he laid in a semi-broken heap as he tried to get his senses back.

"Bass? Are you okay? I heard you yelp."

'Eva, shit...' The dark warrior rose to his hands and knees with a grunt then teleported before the virus got any bright ideas, "Ngh, I'm here. Just got caught off guard and the thing got a lucky hit in."

"Didn't sound like just a 'lucky hit' to me…"

"Eh," The former Wily bot glanced at the laser-wielding virus from his vantage point when a crash caught his attention, "What was that?"

"...The container has a tracking laser beam. I just jumped over it and crashed into a crate."

" _Brillant…_ Do I _even want_ to how bad it is out there?"

"Hehe, not in the slightest."

" _Lovely,_ " The sable warrior stood up as he noticed a moderate-sized Navi in blue armor running towards the clearing without knowing what was there, "I gotta go."

"Alright, I'll let you focus."

The 'Black Shadow' sighed in annoyance as he formed a dark energy ball with electricity coursing in his hand, his Dark Arm Blade forming on the other arm. Might as well injury it before going to see who this guy was and whose side he was one. The cloaked fighter threw the Darkness Overload then teleported behind the virus, hovering at shoulder blade height, and lashed out with his blade before teleporting again, reappearing in front of the new arrival slightly. Reacting quickly, the blue Navi skidded to a halt and examined the darker warrior cautiously, his bright eyes flickering with concern when he saw how badly the other Navi was hurt. He started to say something when he realized that the cloaked warrior in front of him was looking at him through narrowed eyes, distrust and uncertainty clear in his blood red eyes.

"Hey, easy," The smaller fighter exclaimed calmly, bringing his hands up in a non-threatening gesture, "I'm on your side, promise."

"What's your name?"

The green-eyed NetNavi blinked in surprise at the question then smiled softly in reply, "It's Megaman. Nice to meet you, uh..."

"Later," Bass replied, turning to face the Life Virus once again, 'Megaman, huh? From what Eva told me, he's Lans' partner. Doesn't seem like he gets in the way though...' "Do you have any preloaded attacks on you, preferably strong ones?"

"Yeah," Megaman replied easily, turning to look at the virus as well, "Lan gave me a Mega Cannon, two Spreaders and a Knight Sword before Chaud and Protoman showed up. What is that thing?"

"It's called the Life Virus," The 'Black Shadow' replied, forming another electrified energy ball in his hand, "Leave getting rid of the Aura to me, just focus on dealing that thing some damage."

With a nod, the blue bomber was off, a Spreader forming on either arm as he ran.

* * *

The room practically shook as the powerful beam struck an old-fashioned computer, causing it to explode. Eva used the shockwave to increase her leaping distance, landing in a smooth roll as the round weapon charged up another shot and trained its sight on her once more. 'At least his thing's slow,' The golden-blonde thought as she popped up and darted behind two very large shipping containers with enough space for a mirror in between, 'Though convenient, why the hell does Wily need shipping containers?' Speaking of the mad doctor, the former robot scientist continued to cackle maniacally from his spot next to the Life Virus' container that also served as its gateway to the world wide net. The young Netbattler gritted her teeth, hiding out as all she could do was wait. Her last evasion from the beam seemed to have turned the audio of her PET on, Bass yelping in pain at that moment. 'Oh, shit!' Concerned for her partner and 'brother', the young teen pulled out her personal terminal and was about to click it on then thought otherwise. The screen had a tendency to distract him, which was why his partner opted for the audio.

"Bass? Are you okay? I heard you yelp."

There was a short pause before the former Robot Master answered, pain lacing his voice, "Ngh, I'm here. Just got caught off guard and the thing got a lucky hit in."

"Didn't sound like just a 'lucky hit' to me…" Eva replied dubiously, not realizing that her reflection was in plain view of the ball-like container. It charged up.

"Eh."

The beam was fired, bouncing off the reflective glass and nearly missing the golden-blonde. Nearly missed. The rest of the beam struck the shipping container the girl was hiding behind

"What was that?"

The young Netbattler gritted her teeth, the corner of the beam grazing her upper right arm and tried to hide her pain from her partner, "...The container has a tracking laser beam. I just jumped over it and crashed into a crate."

" _Brillant…_ Do I _even want_ to how bad it is out there?"

"Hehe, not in the slightest."

" _Lovely..._ I gotta go."

"Alright, I'll let you focus," The young female replied before turning the audio off once again, raising her gaze to glare at the mirror.

Her glare softened to almost nothing as an idea came to mind. She couldn't get close enough to the sphere-shaped weapon nor the insane scientist without getting blasted, but the mirror just proved that the long-ranged beam could be just as strong a fault as it was a strength… That _could_ work…

"Oh please, you never hid from any of my operatives or dangerous situations before, why start now?!" Mr. Wily's voice echoed throughout the large room, his voice a mix of sadism, cruelty, and cockiness.

'And now he's mocking me… Then again, falling for it doesn't sound that bad...~' "Alright, Doctor! If you're really that anxious to kill me," Eva got to her feet then stopped in front of the mirror and spread her arms out wide, giving the container for the Life Virus a clear shot, "Then do it! Right now! I'm wide open!"

The maniac chuckled quietly as the cannon began to charge up. 'Wait.' The young teen scowled and narrowed her eyes, luckily, the doctor took the expression as preparation for death. The cannon was starting to glow brightly now. ' _Wait..._ ' Just a few seconds before the beam was shot, the red-banged girl twisted around and dove behind the large mirror, angling it so the beam was redirected back to where it came from. The glass and frame shattered on impact and the shockwave threw the blonde into the wall but the job was done. Wily yelped at the deadly beam sunk into the metal casing of the mechanical ball, destroying the wiring and mechanics inside as smoke started to whiffle of it. The young Netbattler wasted no time in the brief moment of distraction the destruction provided and sprinted over to the mad-man, leaping over the crater in the steps and front flipped to her feet, her coppery-hazel eyes locked on the insane doctors dangerously as she stood out of her landing slowly.

The balding male sneered, the corners of his eyes crinkling is disdain, "Alright. I know when I'm beat..."

"Good," The young teen growled then gestured her head to the floor below the raised landing, "Get going."

As the two walked down whatever remained of the destroyed stairs, footsteps echoed down the hallway as well as shouts of 'hands up' and 'OFFICIALS! FREEZE!'. The 'good old' doctor, however, found their shouts annoying and spat in irritation. Something that didn't really surprise Eva. A small team ran into the large room with guns raised and bodies tense in anticipation, ready for a fight. What they weren't ready for was for the mad-man to have already been defeated and being escorted out. One of the Officials on the team took one look at the golden-blonde's arm then rushed over. The young female winched a bit as the experienced woman grabbed her arm with both hands to get a better look at the wound with discolored skin around it.

"Mph, it's starting to become chronic… On a scale of one to ten, one being none at all and ten being absolute agony, how badly does it hurt?"

"Uh… two, maybe three?" The younger Netbattler responded, a bit taken aback by this woman's up-frontness, "I don't know, it may be just because of the adrenaline that's preventing me from being in pain..."

"Perhaps..." The Official muttered before standing up straight, "We've got ambulances called in by the chance of prisoners or injured. I'll get you on the first one."

"As much as I appreciate the gesture," The red-banged female began, pulling away from the older woman's reach, "My partner's still in there. I can't just leave him."

"Alright, make it quick."

Eva nodded in reply then pulled out her PET, turning the screen on and tried not to wince in sympathy once she saw her 'brother', "Ouch… That looks like that hurts..."

Bass huffed amusement then turned to the screen with a sheepish grin, "So does that burn. And here I thought I did some damage to your hands."

His 'sister' chuckled softly before getting to the point, "We're packing up, what's the status on the Life Virus?"

"You actually have good timing. We just deleted it a few seconds ago."

"'We'?"

"Ah-haha, I could say the same to you.~ Lan's Navi gave me a hand for the last bit of the fight."

"The Officials showed up, ready to get jacked-out?"

"The sooner, the better. You need to get that burn treated."

"Alright. Jack-out, Bass," His partner put her personal terminal back into its holder than let the female Official lead her out.

Outside was on the borderline of controlled chaos and just plain chaos. And the smell of blood, gunpowder and death lingered in the air. Bodies laid on the ground, some with bullet holes others with laser burn marks on their chest or their head. Unfortunately, it wasn't just World Three members littering the ground… Eva raised her gaze from the death around her then looked around among the living for a familiar face. Not finding the monochrome-haired male anywhere, the young female turned her gaze to the Official behind her.

"Where's Chaud?"

"He's fine if that's what you're wondering."

The golden-blonde's eye twitched and her mouth twisted into a slight scowl. Really? Did she _look_ like a little girl that needed comforting? Her mouth opened to give a snappish retort then bit her tongue and took a steady breath to calm herself. Stupid adrenaline. The red-banged girl took another breath to calm down then clarified what she meant.

"Sorry for the confusion, I meant what was he doing?"

"I know. Watch your step," The elder female replied calmly, the corners of her lips twitching in an attempt to stop a smile.

"Parden?" Bass spoke up once again, his tone more flat and offensive than anything.

His partner placed her hand on her PET to calm him as she turned to face forward again. They were closer to the ambulances and those who were injured were being treated before being sent to the hospital. The red-streaked female watched her step as she spoke to the adult female once again but made sure her tone was respectful.

"Care to explain?"

"I was testing you, see how you would respond," The experienced Netbattler answered, let a small smile slip before her expression became neutral once more, "He's probably scolding that Hikari kid. You have a good restraint on yourself. Something your _Navi_ should pick up on..."

" _Oh, not_ this 'holding my tongue' _crap_ again," The cloaked warrior snarled, his irritation clear in his tone.

Eva couldn't help but throw her head back and laugh at his response, remembering when she was reprimanding him about that same topic before their first mission and realizing what he was referring to. A few Officials that were being treated snickered a bit as well, throwing a look to the female who was escorting the young teen to an ambulance. The older woman sighed in annoyance before an empty ambulance caught her eye. She steered the girl towards the vehicle where the medics started examining her. After seeing the darkening skin around the laser wound, they ushered her onto the ambulance. Luckily, they didn't have her lay down on the stretcher but instead had her sit on one of the seats in the back with one of the medics. Once the first-responder put ointment around her wound to prevent the skin from cracking and bleeding, the golden-blonde looked out the window, watching the old World Three base disappear behind a green curtain of leaves and vines.

Sneak-peek: Chapter 10- Last Ditch Effort

"Oh, and what would you have me do instead, tell him to get a flavor you _didn't_ like?!"

"... I _really_ don't like your father..."

"Worry about your own Navi, operator, and leave the _hard_ stuff to _us..._ "

'What in the holy hell happened to this guy?...'

* * *

Sorry that this was late, there was a tornado warning last night for me and it expired past 12 am. So that happened. Also, I'm making an update on when I post new chapters, it will only be on Fridays. I have another story on YouTube that my subscribers are hooked on, so I can't update on Mondays anymore.


	11. Chapter 10- Last Ditch Effort

Chapter 10- Last Ditch Effort

Light streamed in from the hospital's window, the shades doing little to keep the light out. Eva's eyes moved under their lids before blinking open, her pupils shrinking at the bright light. On the table near the pure white bed was her PET, Bass greeting her as she sat up slowly. The golden-blonde greeted back then looked around, not really surprised to see her father wasn't there but instead surprised to see Chaud as he walked back into the room with a soda can in each hand. The young female shifted in the bed then leaned back and placed her hands on her lap.

"Good to see you awake," The young Official greeted as he stopped by her bedside and offered the can with a red wrapper around the middle of it, "How does your arm feel?"

The older Netbattler glanced at the scar the Life Virus had given her as she accepted the soda, having not noticed the small dent in her arm up until then, "It fills fine, though it may be the fact that the painkillers haven't worn off completely."

"It certainly sounds like it," The white-and-black haired male replied, hearing just a touch slur in her voice but not enough to be completely noticeable.

Eva took a sip of her drink then furrowed her brows, recognizing the flavor almost at once. 'The hell?...' The red-banged girl turned the can around to read the letters on the wrapper. Cherry Pop.

"This is my favorite," The blonde female took her gaze off the soda in her hand and raised a brow at the boy next to her, "How-"

"Bass told me," Chaud answered honestly, taking a sip of his own drink.

The golden-blonde turned to her PET with a playful grin, only a bit offended that her partner would give away private information like that, "Asshole!~"

"Oh, and what would you have me do instead, tell him to get a flavor you _didn't_ like?!" The cloaked fighter snapped back, an undertone of playfulness in his voice.

She cracked up laughing, the Official next to her snickering a bit. Somehow, Bass and Eva had a better partnership than most Officials, even though they argued a lot. Many people just chalked it up that the very conversation the two had with each other strengthened their bond while others had a much more interesting and scientific theory. Someone clearing their throat caught their attention, the latter of the two stiffening and entering a soldier-like attentiveness as he swiftly turned to the door. A man in a business suit stood in the doorway, his hair very much like Chaud's but inverted. 'Is this Chaud's father?' Eva wondered as she put her drink down on the side table and subconsciously sat up straighter.

"So you're the Charity girl my son was telling me about," The businessman started as he walked further into the room, "With what I've been told, I _may_ have hope for the Charity Foundation..."

"Ah, thank you, Mr…?"

"You may address me as Mr. Blaze, Ms. Charity."

She nodded in reply, still uncertain and on edge with this new information. How was one supposed to act when given a surprise visit by the president and owner of a large company. Probably faint or fangirl/fanboy out. Probably be in denial and request for proof of such claims. As the man continued to talk, the golden-blonde suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness hit her and her eyelids fluttered slightly. This didn't go unnoticed by the younger male at her bedside.

"Father," The white-and-black haired male started, catching the older man's attention, "She needs rest."

Getting the hint, nodded in reply then began walking out without another word, gesture with his hand for his son to follow. Before the Official could turn to obey his father, the older Netbattler tapped his hand to get his attention. She grinned softly in thanks then mouthed 'see you' to him. He smirked back then turned and walked after his only parent calmly, raising his hand halfway in goodbye.

"You're being quiet," The young female noted as she turned her gaze to her PET once the two left, "Something wrong?"

"... No, I just muted it since Protoman stated that Mr. Blaze didn't like hearing him speak."

"Hm… Well, at least he doesn't get glared at."

"... I _really_ don't like your father..."

Movement by the door caught her attention and the cloaked Navis' partner turned her head to look at the open door, her good mode vanishing when she saw her father. And no one else.

'Is it bad I'm starting to feel the same way?...' The girl wondered before turning onto her side and pulling the blanket over her head slightly. Nicholas pulled it down so he could see her, and so she could see his irritated expression.

"What was the _Blaze family_ doing in here," The scientist growled, spitting out the word 'Blaze' out like it was poison.

Eva said nothing, keeping her eyes shut as she attempted to get to sleep.

"You're to not to see any on them again, do you hear me? None of them, especially that damn Official."

Still nothing from her. Nick was this close to hitting her out of anger.

"EVA! ANSWER ME, YOU-!"

"LET HER SLEEP!," Bass shouted over the scientist, his shoulder twitching as he knew the punishment for talking back.

" _What?_ " Amber eyes sparked in anger as the 'father' hissed his response, his hands balling into fists.

"She's been through a lot, including surgery," The ebony fighter replied, changing his tone to be a bit respectful. A _bit._

"Leave her be."

" _Clearly_ I have to be more strict towards the _both_ of you," Nicholas growled before turning and leaving the hospital room.

* * *

A week after the Life Virus incident, things had gone back to normal. Well, as normal as it could be. Wily had escaped from the police cruiser a mile or so away from the DenTech's prison, having help in doing so was what one of the officers reported. The search for him continues to this day although many Officials suspect that the World Three leader is most likely out of Electopia by now, the time gap and the terrorists' wealth being more than enough for the escape.

Otaru had basically returned to its common way of life. With no more terrorist attacks, everyone had decided to relax, the good mood affecting the police as well as there was a notable lack of tickets. However, not everyone felt a need to sit back and relax, nor were they happy about World Three's operations being shut down to _kids!_ A middle-aged, raven-haired female stood in an alleyway, her navy blue eyes locked on her PET's screen.

"Are you absolutely positive you two are capable of taking him down along with the rest of the police stations' network?"

"Worry about your own Navi, _operator_ ," A streamlined female Navi shot back, her webbed hands on either arm as her arms were crossed, "And leave the _hard_ stuff to _us..._ "

"Very well, then," The woman switched to her Navi, the sight of the red-orange armor bringing a small smile to her face, "Ready, Bombman?"

"Whenever you are, Trish."

"Then let's go..."

* * *

The Mettool didn't stand a chance against the Dark Arm Blade, vanishing into deletion within one stroke. Granted, the viruses in the Undernet were much stronger than those in the regular Net, they were still no match for the ebony fighter. Bass stood straight and let his energy sword dissipate, his hand reappearing in its place. Some Heel Navis could be seen in the distance, standing around or doing illegal business with another Navis. A few resident Navis of the Undernet walked around, snarling whenever another one would have the nerve to cross their path and engage with them in a small netbattle.

Like wild animals having territory disputes, the brawls were short and the weaker of the two or three combatants would take off running with their tail between their legs. It was bothersome to watch, even more so when you had to actually take part in it. The cloaked Navi sighed in mild annoyance then turned and walked to a new area, somewhere he could do pest control in peace. Unfortunately, the day had other plans for him.

"Hey-ey.~ Look, it's a police Navi," A nearby Heel Navi pointed out to one of his buddies, his buster warming up at the idea of deleting an officer, "And he's weakened. Heeeeyy, hehehe.~ Wouldn't it be fun to jump him?~"

'An injured police Navi?' Bass stopped in his tracks then turned his head to listen in better, his cold eyes narrowed suspiciously. The other two Navis by the first nodded in agreement, both laughing at the prospect of one less law enforcer. 'You'd like that, wouldn't you?' The sable fighter thought in annoyance, honestly believing that the Navis here knew anything more than fighting and deleting. Or being deleted. Another irritated sigh passed by his lips before he teleported behind the three getting ready for their illegal act. Not like they really cared if it was illegal or not.

"Scram," The solo warrior growled, glaring at the back of the heads of the Heel Navis.

The first two scrambled to get away as soon as they heard his voice, literally climbing on top of one and other in their haste. The third one turned to face the 'Black Shadow' then froze, most likely not having believed that he really existed and was in shock, before rocketing after his friends. The cloaked Navi shook his head slightly then turned to where the three Navis were facing, raising a brow at the severely damaged standard police Navi basically dragging his right leg behind him as he made his way into the Undernet. 'What in the holy hell happened to this guy? And where the hell is his operator?...'

Bass stepped into the open, getting in plain view of the other Navi, "You there! _Not_ a good idea to venture in here like that without a good reason- actually it's not a good idea _period._ Where's your operator?"

The light blue officer looked up weakly, perking up when he saw the dark fighter then reached out weakly before losing his balance and falling face first on the pixelated road, uttering the stronger Navis' name before he collapsed. The cloaked warrior started in surprise then was at the police Navis' side in a second, catching him before his knees hit the ground then laying him gently on the cyber floor. Brushing his cloak to the side, the ebony Navi knelt next to the near-deleted officer, his gaze full of concern but curious as well.

"... What happened to you?..."

At Bass' voice, the police Navi turned his head slightly to look at him, glowing blue data floating off him and into the virtual air, "Ngh... Ambush….. Station…. Solos..."

"Hush..."

The 'Black Shadow' placed his hand over the officer's visor, watching with mild sadness as the Navi slowly deleted until the blue data disappeared. With a sigh, what felt to the hundredth sigh that day, the sable warrior rose to his feet then turned to the floating screen that appeared on his left.

"I'm assuming you heard all of that?..."

"Yeah," His operator replied, her coppery-hazel eyes narrowed slightly, "You can get there faster than me. Go. I'll catch up."

The cloaked Navi nodded in reply before vanishing in a bright flash.

* * *

Eva unhooked her PET from its charger and slipped on her white converse before heading out, not having to waste time and explain herself since she was home alone. Mike was standing on the sidewalk outside the house, deciding to be early instead of being late for the trip to the mall they had planned earlier that week. The golden-blonde quickly explained that they'd have to reschedule before taking off, cutting across the lawn to save time. The ginger rose a brow before running after her, running on the sidewalk which allowed him to catch up quicker.

"Mind telling me what's up?"

"Tell you later, Bass will be waiting for me," His friend replied before angling her body to be more streamlined and took off in an all-out sprint.

Knowing that he had no chance of even getting close to her now, the young male slowed to a stop then took out his PET, starting slightly when he saw two new messages in his email.

"Ah-HEY! Where did _these_ come from?!"

"Your mother," Quickman replied, looking at him with a slight irritated expression, "I tried telling you but you had your music up too loud. Anyway, it seems like she needs you to do a couple of chores."

"Geez, talk about timing..."

* * *

The young operator arrived at the station barely out of breath and broke through the line the police had set up to surround the building before running in, continuing her quick pace and focusing of not looking at the dismembered bodies of the unfortunate officers who were caught in the crossfire. 'Machine gun,' Eva thought, stopping by a slightly less mauled body and examining the corpse for a better idea of death, 'Or an automatic. Either one, it's going to be hard to dodge. But why is an operator here if that officer Navi said Solo Navis? Why would they be working with a human? This doesn't make any sense...'

Standing up straight, the Netbattler took her PET out of its holder, "I'm here. Anything?"

"Not really, no. What about your end?"

"Bodies. That officer Navi wasn't the first to suffer from this attack," The golden-blonde glanced down the corridor, where more bodies were, "It looks like whoever did this carnage has either a machine gun or an automatic. It also means that it's most likely an operator."

"And that means I'm going to being fighting more than two Navis," Bass grumbled as he looked around cautiously, his eyes narrowed in annoyance, "Or possibly a group. He _did_ say Solos."

"That's what I was thinking. Anyway, I won't distract you anymore. Be careful."

"You too."

Eva sighed softly as the video cut-out then replaced her personal device and continued in, her light eyes narrowed cautiously while her steps were not short and careful. Blood practically flooded the hall the further she went in, the smell of death almost making her gag. Finally, she reached the room where the criminal was… relaxing… in…

"Trish?" The younger female blinked in disbelief, a confused scowl on her face, "What… Are you doing?... How did you even get out?"

The former World Three member was laying on an officer's' desk, her head hanging off the side while her feet were propped up on the chair. She regarded the smaller Netbattler with a disgusted scoff, her dark eyes becoming slits in disdain.

"You know, I was hoping for more officers… Hearing the bullets enter their body is just… _perfect…~_ "

It was the other female's turn to make a disgusted face before stepping into the room. Trish tutted at her then pointed to the opposite wall while rolling off the desk, revealing a very much alive police Chief unconscious in the seat. The golden-blonde narrowed her eyes before following the elder Netbattler's finger, seeing the weapon propped up on a couple of books, a string attached to the trigger. Confused, she followed the string all the way down to her feet, a tripwire at knee height. Eva quickly grabbed the doorframe then pushed herself back before glaring at the terrorist-turned-murderer.

"Can't have you punching my lights out, now can I?" The former World Three member purred, a cruel smile on her lips, "I want a fair Netbattle with you, and if you want the Chief alive, you'll be a good little girl and stay on that side, k?"

The girl scoffed again then grabbed her PET, where Bass was tense and glaring at something off-screen, "Bass?"

"Ready when you are."

* * *

To put things simply, a three on one fight was always a horrible fight, even if the single opponent is overpowered. Bombman stood adjacent to the cloaked Navi, Lagoonwoman on his right and Gustman on his left. The female was a streamlined blue Navi with an old-fashioned diver's helmet on her head, not much armor on her but a dress instead that could possibly hide sharp blades on her leg armor. She also had old fashion air tanks on her back but that probably wasn't their actual purpose. Her hands and feet were webbed, the hands extra padded to make it look like a blade wouldn't pierce. The other Solo had a bit more to look at, with brown armor covering a large portion of his body yet still allowed him to have a lithe form.

A powerful fan took over his right hand while the left was a normal hand, jet plane wings attached to his back armor. To fit in with the plane like vibe, he also had an air mask covering most of his face. The red-orange Navi nodded to the other two and the battle started as the two solo Navis took off in different directions. Bass brought up the Hellfire guard then slid into a defensive position, wanting to see what these Solos could do before jumping in.

"Air Storm!"

The darker warrior grunted in surprise as he was assaulted by strong wind on all sides, the black ring of fire dissipating from the guard-breaking attack. The howling wind made it impossible to hear the next two attacks. The panel under his feet flashed twice before exploding, sending him flying into the air and into the female Navis' Gaia Wave, which pushed him back down with the pressure of two tons on his back. The ebony fighter teleported to a safer spot to catch his breath, his body trembling slightly as he coughed.

"Bass, water conducts electricity," Eva's voice came in, her tone calm despite the unfair odds.

He nodded with another cough then summoned his Electric Whip and teleported behind Lagoonwoman and wrapped the cord around her. She yelped in protest before screaming in pain as the spikes dug into her 'skin' while the electricity coursed through her body at the same time. His attack was quickly put to an end with Gustman's Air Shot, knocking him away a good distance while cracking the 'Black Shadow's' shoulder guard in the process. Bass growled lowly then teleported behind the brown Navi, using the momentum he had to add some more power to his Dark Arm Blade as he slashed out.

"Incoming Shotgun coming from Bombman," Eva warned, having heard the preparation of the attack on her end.

"Got it."

The sable fighter waited until last minute before teleporting, letting the blast from the Shotgun hit Gustman.

"Ugh!" The dull, fighter plane-themed Solo whipped around to glare at the bomb-themed regular Navi, murder in his gaze, "Watch what you're doing, human _pet!_ "

The red-orange armored bomber was about to reply when a Darkness Overload slammed into his side, dealing a lot of damage to the weaker opponent and effectively blowing the other two away with the shockwave. 'Now let's see if I can keep up this advantage...' Eva's partner thought with a growl, pulling his collar up to protect his mouth and his eyes narrowing seriously. Summoning his Dark Arm Blade, the cloaked Navi teleported behind Lagoonwoman and jabbed the blade into her shoulder, raising her up and grabbing her other arm with his free hand.

"Let go of me!" The azure female snarled, her eyes flashing in anger underneath her helmet, "Gaia Wave!"

'Idiot...' The massive wave rose up in front of her then bent over to crash down on her opponent behind her. The darker fighter waited until the crest of the wave was starting to bare down on him before pulling his captive back a bit then teleported away, letting the aquatic enemy get crushed by her own attack. He teleported again when the panel under his feet started flashing, re-appearing next to the male Solo and slashed his hand/fan deeply. Gustman cried out in a mix of pain and shock, grunting when he received a punch to the face empowered by Earth Breaker.

"Watch it, she just gave Bombman Drop-down," The blonde operator warned, letting her Navi have plenty of time to rise into the air, "While you have some breathing room, let me give you a Recovery 150."

Bass sighed softly in relief, feeling his body stop hurting as the Recovery chip did its job. The dust-brown Navi jumped up on a high pillar then fired his Air Shot again, watching in annoyance as his target disappeared before the blow hit him. The sable warrior appeared behind the wind-themed Solo Navi, thrusting his dark energy sword through his back while his glowing free hand grabbed his shoulder. Gustman coughed in pain- the blade having gone through his emblem- then slouched in his enemy's grip, blue data starting to whiffle off his body. Once the Get Ability had successfully ended, the 'Black Shadow' tore his sword up, quickly ending the Solo Navis' life.

A charged shot appeared from the panel below him, slamming into his chest and knocking the floating fighter out of the sky briefly. But enough for Bombman to use the Variable Sword, creating a Sonic Boom that would have dealt some good damage had the more experienced fighter not teleported out of the way. He landed in a roll on the ground then stopped in a crouch, his free hand transforming into the cannon for Acid Blast before he fired the deadly attack at Lagoonwoman, who was completely unprepared for it and yelped when the splash hit her. She had no time to react as the cloaked Navi sent a dark wave arch right at her with his purple energy blade, which cut right through her.

"What was that?' The ebony fighter asked, turning at the sound of a yelp, a brow raised in confusion.

"Trish just forcefully jacked Bombman out. I don't think he was ready for it."

"Ah…. I think I'll stay in here and trying to repair things as much as I can."

"Suit yourself."

* * *

Eva placed her PET back in its holder then looked up to see the former World Three member in her face. Before she could react, the raven-haired female unleashed a strong right hook, sending the younger one sprawling on the cold tiles.

The terrorist stepped over the tripwire then marched over to the girl, a slightly insane look it her dark eyes, "I told you that the Chief would be alive if you fought me fairly… I never said the same for you…~"

The golden-blonde scowled at the murderer as she drew a hunter's knife out of her pocket, flipping back onto her feet and putting a good amount of distance between her and the insane female. Trish chuckled coldly with a slight insane note in her voice. Then she lunged. The young operator ducked and swept her feet out from under her with a good kick then popped up as the dark-haired killer flew over her, using her momentum to throw the woman to the ground. The knife clattered against the ground, sliding away and out of reaching distance. The light-haired girl spun around then went to slam her foot down on the former terrorist's face but the older female rolled out of the way, grabbing her knife again before getting to her feet.

Eva backed up, trying to get some distance back when Trish suddenly lunged again, her foot stomping and pinning the younger females' foot to the ground. The girl yelped as she fell, the sudden halt of her retreat knocking her off balance, and grimaced as her head slammed against the hard floor. The former World Three member stomped down on the smaller female's chest, pinning her to the floor while she rose the hunter's knife up for a finishing strike. The golden-blonde grabbed her enemy's knee in a stranglehold then pulled with all her strength before rolling away as fast as she could.

Once again, the knife clattered away, sliding further down the hallway then over to the wall like it had done before. However, she didn't keep her focus on the weapon but instead rolled again and used the momentum to throw a strong punch towards the murderers' head, the fact that she was starting to get back up definitely added to the blow and knocked her out cold. With a relieved sigh, Eva relaxed, rolling on her back and letting her arms fall limping on either side of her. Her PET beeped, letting her know that Bass was back.

"You okay?"

"Mph."

Rapid footsteps approached but the girl didn't get up yet. There wasn't a need to.

"That looked like fun."

"As much fun as you had with that three on one fight?"

The dark Navi chuckled softly at the same the S.W.A.T team came charging into the hallway, sniper rifles raised with the aiming light on and darting around as they moved their guns. One member moved in to help her up while the others kept on the alert.

* * *

"I'm fine. Promise."

"Are you sure, sweetheart," The nurse asked, worry in her grey eyes.

"Positive," Eva replied with a small smile, dangling her legs over the bed calmly, "May I be dismissed now?"

The older female nodded with a smile then gestured to the door. After the S.W.A.T team arrived, the golden-blonde was sent to paramedic's office for treatment for her head. After wrapping a bandage around her head since she was bleeding slightly, the nurse had the young female take a test to make sure she didn't receive a concussion but wasn't satisfied even though the red-banged girl passed. Call it being a good nurse or being paranoid, it doesn't matter as long as the patients' okay. The young female picked up a pile of clothes then made her way to the restroom to change out of her bloodied outfit. Despite the janitors and other officers trying their best to clear the building of blood and bodies, you could still smell the sticky bodily fluid and death in the air. Especially when the living boys/girls-in-blue kept on finding bodies. Trish _certainly_ had a lot of time on her hands before the cloaked fighter and his operator arrived.

The light-haired teen cast a sympathetic look at two officers as they carried yet _another_ body away, this one had a bloodied over his body but the girl could tell how he died by the amount of blood on his stomach area. The golden-blonde sighed softly at the grief just _one_ person brought in such a short time. Sure, the former terrorist had Navis on her side but the damage in the real world was done by _her_ hands. It served as a good reminder that rampaging NetNavis' weren't the only danger in the world. Eva sighed again before trudging into the women's bathroom and got changed. Once she was changed, she made her way to get her partner from the research lab when Chief Whistler appeared in her path. The only reaction the young female could manage was a startled grunt before the elder law enforcer spoke up.

"Going to get Bass," He asked, the corners of his lips twitching as he fought off a smirk, "Well, once you get him, come to my office, alright?"

Before the red-banged could get a word out or even nod, he was gone again, walking down the side hallway he had stepped out from. For a few seconds, the red-streaked teen stood still with a shocked look on her face before it contorted into a reasonably bewildered expression for someone who just went through a very confusing experience.

" _Ehhhh?!... What... Just happened?..._ "

Shaking off her shock and confusion, the golden-blonde continued to her destination, still a little more than a bit put off guard by the Chief of Police. The research personal noticed the girl's expression first, snickering since the Chief had told everyone but the ebony Navi and his operator. Bass was a bit more concerned about his 'sister' than the others were, understandably so.

"You okay," He questioned, his tone soft despite the fact that his arms were crossed, "You look like you just saw a ghost..."

"Not quite," Eva replied, grabbing her PET and watching as her partner appeared on the screen, "Just had a weird 'conversation' with the Chief."

"Wait… Why did you say 'conversation' like that," The cloaked warrior questioned, unfolding his arms and making quotation notes with his fingers.

"Because I don't know what else to call it at this point in time."

"Ahh… Lovely..."

"Anyway, he wanted to see us in his office," The golden-blonde drifted out the research room, ignoring the odd looks the officers giving her as she walked along, "I'm sure it's about what just happened today." 'It doesn't explain him fighting a smirk, though...'

An irritated curse passed by the former Robot Master's lips as he sighed, already having had enough of this day before all this craziness happened. The red-banged female sighed softly in sympathy at her 'brother', knowing how irritated he was in the Undernet beforehand. And that was where he went when he was in a bad mood, so it didn't help much. Finally, the two arrived in the Chief's office, where he told the girl to close the door before letting her sit.

"I'm glad you to could get here so quickly," Chief Whistler greeted from his seat on the other side of the desk.

'That's not the only thing that appeared quickly,' Bass thought bitterly as he gripped his emblem in pain but held down a groan. Eva didn't need to know about this.

"What did you want to tell us about, Chief," The young Netbattler wondered, her coppery-hazel eyes alert but curious as well.

"First, know that when I make this offering, it isn't _just_ because of a lack of officers after this incident. We've actually been debating about this for some time."

"Pardon?" The female teen rose a brow, a confused sneer on her lips, "Debating what? What are you talking about?"

"Debating on whether or not we should place you on the Netpolice unit," The elder male replied with a smirk.

 _That_ provided as a great distraction from the pain. The ebony Navi froze for a split second then turned his gaze back to the screen, his brow raised in interest. The golden-blonde blinked in shock before turning her gaze downward, a million thoughts racing through her mind and her eyes seemed to be trying to follow them all. The Chief huffed in amusement at her reaction, it was understandable though. Few teens dreamed about becoming a Net police operative, others just thought about the then and there.

"Of course, we won't do anything without getting your consent.~"

The red-streaked female blinked again then looked up cautiously, her brow raised in question, "Not my dad?..."

"No. Just your consent, as well as Bass', of course."

A small smile appeared on the girl's face, a mischievous light in her eyes. Going behind her father's back wasn't something new, so why stop now?

"When's our first mission?"

* * *

*After this special chapter, the second story following the events of MBN 2 will begin. Until then, see y'all later!*


	12. Special Chapter 1

Special Chapter- By Another View

*Chapter 3 by Chaud and Protoman's point of view*

"Oh brother. It's Chaud Blaze!"

Chaud stood on the first landing, his hands in his pockets as he looked down at Lan and the rest of his friends. Yai Ayano stood next to the fifth-grader, her dark brown eyes narrowed in annoyance as she looked up at him.

"Cool it, Lan," The Official began calmly, his posture never changing nor showing any reaction to the hostility below him, "I dropped in for a bite so of course they offered me the Emperor's Room."

The young ginger stiffened at that, her eyes flaring as her gaze turned into a glare. Lan only became more hostile towards the other boy, his teeth gritted as he listened to the slightly taller male continue to insult his friends. Meanwhile, Maylu and Troy muttered behind them calmly, the latter of the two informing the redhead of Mr. Blaze's position at BlazeQuest.

"Himelick, you might serve first-class food here," The vice-president continued as he walked down the rest of the steps, his tone turning sour slightly, "But if you serve third-class companies like AyanoTech, I won't be back. Ever. And forget about any tips."

Upon exiting the restaurant, his PET beeped and his Navi, Protoman, spoke up, "Chaud, you have an email from the Otaru police force requesting your assistance."

"The Otaru police..." The white-and-black haired male muttered, closing his eyes as he thought before sighing softly, "Very well. Call the limo around."

"Understood."

"HEY! CHAUD!"

Chaud's eyes opened at the younger male's voice and turned slightly to see the brown-haired boy running towards him, "Wait a sec. You better take back what you said to Yai, right now!"

The young Official narrowed his eyes, a defined frown appearing on his face as his limo turned the corner, "I don't have time for this..."

As soon as the jet black vehicle rolled to a stop, he opened the door and stepped in, Lan yelling at him to stop and face him, his yells becoming muffled once the door closed with a click. Now that there were no distractions, the young male ordered the visored Navi to inform him of the situation in the town over. What he got was pretty gruesome. Wrecked cars littered the highway for over half a mile, some alone while others were in a pile-up and guarded by police. An air view played a brief video showing a relatively new car suddenly start smoking from under the hood. The driver either panicked and lost control- or didn't have control to begin with- and raced down an off-ramp, nearly creaming a boy and girl crossing the street. Luckily, the video also caught the girl reacting quickly and pulling the boy with her as she dived out of the way. The police had restricted the incident by barricading the first accidents then again at the latest set. 'Definitely not just accidents,' Chaud thought as he placed his hand to his mouth in thought before looking out the window. They were going much too slow.

"Step on it," The BlazeQuest vice-president ordered as he turned to face the front of the limo.

Even though he couldn't see into the front, the limo driver gave an audible response before pressing harder on the gas pedal. Sure enough, the long vehicle lurched forward and buildings- along with passing cars- became blurs.

"Chaud," Protoman spoke up again, drawing his operator's attention back to the red and gold PET, "Doesn't the girl look familiar to you?"

"What do you mean, Protoman?"

"Isn't that Nicholas Charity's daughter?"

The white-and-black haired boy rose an eyebrow then clicked on the video he had watched before and zoomed in on the girl. Golden-blonde hair and light red bangs, with a runner's body just like her mothers'. He hummed softly in reply, somewhat amazed to find the family still living in that district but also wondering why she was walking with what looked like a fifth-grader. Unfortunately, there was no time to further contemplate it was the limo entered the Otaru highway, quickly reaching the first police barricade where they were stopped.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we can't allow you any further," An officer began as he walked up to the driver's window, "If you could please back up-"

"You're making me late," Chaud interrupted, raising from his seat and sliding the divider panel out of the way, "Protoman can easily guide us through."

The driver moved his arm out of the way as his passenger jacked his partner in. The policeman blinked in surprise when he recognized the young Official and moved out of the way a few steps.

"Right. Didn't realize you were an Official," He chuckled as he moved back some more, "Please, continue."

The limousine slowly pulled off before picking up speed, just under what they had originally been traveling at but much faster than the speed limit, with the original driver keeping his hands off the wheel as the elite Navi drove. It took a minute or so for the long vehicle to screech to a halt in front the second barricade and the young Netbattler quickly jacked his partner out before slipping out of the car, walking up to a jack-in port while some displeased officers muttered under their breath as he passed.

"You know," He began in a cool tone, stopping in his tracks but not turning to face the officers who didn't know when to hold their tongue, "You were the ones who asked for my help. If punctuality is such an issue, I suppose I'll just leave and let you handle this..."

That shut them up. Chaud smirked slightly then lifted his arm as he aimed his PET at the jack-in port, sending his Navi in by a beam of red light.

* * *

Almost as soon as the bright red Navi was jacked-in, a Spiky Virus lunged at him. Protoman scowled a bit as his face guard went up then lashed at the light blue attacker with the Cyber Sword his operator sent him. A large amount of power caught his attention soon afterwards, causing him to look up. A cloaked, jet black Navi walked along a pixelated pillar just two yards away, looking around cautiously as he took tentative steps. 'Who is that?' The melee fighter slipped behind a nearby pillar, the movement catching the other Navis' attention as he looked over with narrowed eyes, 'He noticed me…?' After a few seconds, the strange male turned and called out his operators' name. At her name, the face of the golden-blonde appeared on a screen next to him, startling the red elite Navi listening in. At the same, a very impatient Chaud decided to check up on his Navi as well.

"Protoman," The young Official started, slight irritation hidden in his tone, "What seems to be the hold-up?"

"There is another Navi in here," The visored NetNavi replied as he turned to face the screen that appeared behind him, "Though he seems to be the Navi of Nicholas Charity's daughter, not the one responsible for the accidents. What are you orders?"

The white-and-black haired male was silent as he thought for a few seconds before ordering his partner to watch Eva's Navi from a distance before closing the screen. Protoman nodded to himself in reply then glanced back at the cloaked Navi, in time to witness the other male teleport in a bright flash of light. 'So you can teleport… What else do you have up your sleeve?...' He narrowed his eyes under his visor then tore off towards the Car's core, where the enemy Navi would most likely be and where the black stranger would no doubt be at.

* * *

Chaud lowered his PET then looked up to see several officers looking at their PETs and muttering amongst themselves, their brows furrowed in confusion. 'Now what are they doing,' The video game vice-president thought in mild annoyance. Movement to his right caught his attention, the Otaru police Chief sending two patrol cruisers off before getting into his own cruiser and driving after them.

'And where do they believe they're going?' The young Netbattler wondered before turning to one of the cops near him, "If there's something more important going on, then I don't know why I'm wasting my time here."

"Nothing else is going on," The officer, a young woman, replied politely, "Someone sent an anonymous tip about finding the operator responsible for this dilemma. I'll take you if you want."

"That won't be necessary," The white-and-black haired male responded, turning on his toes and walking over to the barrier.

A young female was leading a middle-aged female out from under the highway, faking a fight with the other female despite the fact her 'attacks' were actually fake-outs. Eventually, the blonde allowed herself to be pinned but stalled as she spoke calmly to the elder Netbattler. 'So that's the World Three member,' Chaud mused calmly, jacking Protoman out the same time the raven-haired villain jacked-out her Navi. A small smirk formed on his face as he watched Eva knock her out while she was busy. 'Clever girl...'

"Her Navi is very capable," The red elite Navi proclaimed, breaking the silence momentarily, "And he seems to have his priorities straight. He knew that the first thing to do was prevent the car from crashing, not deleting the World Three Navi."

His operator only hummed in response, continue to watch as the female criminal was arrested while the golden-blonde entered another police car with the Chief. A few more seconds passed and the young males' partner wondered if they were going to follow them. Chaud didn't answer, instead turning on his toes and heading back to the limo.

"Where do you wish to go now, young master," The driver wondered quietly.

"Head to the Otaru police station."

'Thought as much,' The visored Navi thought to himself as the car started up then drove away. The young Official had the lithe fighter relay to him what he had observed during the battle, raising a brow at not only the ebony Navis stubbornness but his durability as well. Eventually, the limo came to a stop outside the police station and the monochrome-haired male climbed out before the driver could get out. Two officers stood outside the double doors, acting like they were on break but were really keeping an eye out for any nearby disturbances. Clever. The two nodded respectfully to the Official as he passed before casting their gaze back to the street. Inside was controlled chaos, with everyone doing something and no one just lazing around, not even the receptionist. When Chaud reached the counter, she rose her pointer finger then finished her conversation with two dispatchers before turning to him while warming the computer back up.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"The World Three member that was just brought in, where would she be now," The young male replied without hesitation, going straight to the point.

"Trish? Two detectives brought her to the interrogation room. Just go down the hallway to the right, ignore the first two turns then take a left and it should be right there."

The young Netbattler nodded in reply then walked off, following her instructions while keeping a low-profile. Eventually, he found the observation section and slipped in, noticing the Chief and two high ranking officers sitting with him. But no red-banged golden blonde. The monochrome-haired male rose a brow then turned his gaze to the one-way window looking out on the interrogation room where the female terrorist sat, two detectives sat opposite of her and looked more than a bit strained. The Official narrowed his light eyes as he crossed his arms and leaned against the back wall. As time went on, the mud on the middle-aged woman's clothes and her skin began to dry. 'Are they stalling for the mud to dry enough to make her uncomfortable and begin to comply just to shower?' Almost as soon as that thought crossed his mind, he shook it away, realizing that it was the 'detectives' that were starting to lose their cool.

The door to the dark room opened and an older detective walked in, the golden blonde from before walking in after him calmly. Her coppery-hazel eyes traveled the room once before landing on the female terrorist, her expression only changing to bewilderment. Understandably so, the raven-haired World Three member acted as if the open door that lead to her freedom did not exist. 'She's enjoying toying with them,' Chaud realized, his gaze sliding over to the slightly older blonde who already looked like she was the one in control. Her cool air of confidence made him smirk slightly, knowing that what the girl had planned would shatter Trish's game. 'Your actions on the field were well planned, now let's see if you can carry that skill here...'

"Chief," One of the high ranking officers began, turning to the Chief of Otaru Police with a questioning air about him, "What's Delgado thinking? Letting a kid step in for professionals?"

"... Let her try at least first..." Chief Whistler replied, leaning forward slightly as the young Netbattler walked up to sit opposite of the darker-haired female.

'Seems like I'm not the only one interested in what she can do,' The young Official thought, casting his gaze back to the one-way window as the girl leaned back into her seat as well.

"This isn't about me. This is about you. What can you tell me about yourself?"

Even as the girl laughed out loud, the young teen didn't seem fazed at all, almost like she was used to it. The young male frowned as he read her body language as the interrogation continued, noticing each restrained burst of energy that was well-hidden if you weren't looking for it. Though she was intelligent and clever, she was more suited for the field with the energy that she had. A few more off base questions and Trish started to slip, her guard falling completely as she was tricked into spilling the next attack. 'An unveiling party?' Chaud wondered, his light eyes drifting to the right and down in thought, 'Was that what father was telling me about?... Perhaps I will join him, given the circumstances...'

* * *

After slipping out of the observation room and contacting his father, the monochrome-haired operator made his way out of the police station, listening as Protoman listed off the names of those who ever also invited to the meeting. Surprisingly, not a single officer in the district nor anywhere else was on the guest list. Even more surprisingly, no Official was on the list either, with the exception of himself. That will have to change.

"We have to meet with the Chief first, though I'm sure we both know what he's going to say."

A voice ahead of him caught his attention, the girl from before turning the corner as her partner responded to her statement, arrogance clear in his voice as he spoke. As the Eva laughed at his reply, her eyes darted up to watch for oncoming traffic before sidestepping away to prevent a collision. That moment allowed for him to get a closer look at her eye color, the copper fading with the hazel almost perfectly. As they passed each other, the younger Netbattler noticed her eyes lift once more, this time stilling on one specific spot before turning away again. 'She must have noticed it before,' Chaud thought in amusement, a small smirk appearing on his face as he turned the corner, 'I'll give this to her, she catches on faster than Lan does.'

"Protoman, add her to the list."

* * *

Deleted Fight scene; This was going to be a part of chapter 4 but I felt like it was long enough as it was but also because there wasn't any room for it to fit. Anyway, here's Bass. EXE vs Clownman. EXE in case any of you wanted to see it.

'Still nothing?...' Bass thought as he continued to search, it having been almost half an hour since he last reported his 'findings' to his operator. It was honestly no wonder why his guard was starting to drop, boredom slowly taking over caution as more time went by. Electricity crackling from behind caught his attention, the cloaked fighter teleporting before the attack hit him. He reappeared on top of a pixelated pillar, the clown-like Navi he had seen earlier on a different pillar a few feet in front of him, a lightning bolt whip in his left hand.

"Thought you were suspicious when I first saw you," He growled lowly, his Dark Arm Blade forming on his right arm.

"Your loss for not dealing with me when you had the chance," The colorful enemy giggled before cracking his whip, three rings of fire appearing in front of his opponent, "Fire Ring!"

The ebony warrior rose a brow at him, wondering what he was up to when a cyber lion leaped out of one of the rings and tackling him. The dark fighter cried out in pain as the lion bit into his shoulder then stabbed his dark energy blade through it, not having any time to teleport between then and crashing into the ground. Bass coughed a bit before teleporting back to his feet, wheezing slightly as he tried to get his breath back.

A lions' roar caught his attention, two male lions stalking towards him while the rainbow-colored World Three Navi was nowhere to be seen. Growling lowly, he swiped his blade in front of him, sending a dark pulse wave that tore through the two cyber creatures with ease. A barbed wire-like object wrapped around him, digging through his cloak and into the parts where he didn't have armor. The dark warrior yelped in a mix of confusion and surprise before a strangled cry of pain passed his lips as electricity pulsed through his body. After a few seconds, the sable Navi teleported to a safe distance, smoke whiffling off his singed body while he scowled at the cackling clown who was still holding his whip.

"Quite a shocking experience, wouldn't you say?!"

"Do have you have any idea just how overused that 'joke' is," The cloaked fighter grumbled, switching his Dark Arm Blade for his Fire Arm, wanting a strong long-range attack.

That seemed to flip a switch in the odd Navis' personality. The psychotic grin plastered on his face suddenly twisted into an ugly scowl, like it was a new face.

"How dare you insult my jokes! My jokes are the best! Let's see how you feel about it after this!"

The cyber-terrorist cracked his whip at the same time Eva decided to check up on the solo warrior.

"Busy..." Bass hissed, yelping and jumping out of the way when a ring of fire appeared in front of him.

'Stupid thing,' The dark Navi thought with a growl, turning to the cyber lion as it jumped out of the fire and swiped at it. The flaming weapon easily cut through the beast, the blonde operator speaking up once again. With an irritated sigh, he reassured her before cutting the audio and turned back to face the clown Navi… in time to witness a shockwave of electricity racing towards him. Thinking quickly, the darker combatant teleported away, the electricity from the long-armed terrorists' Thunder Claw only hitting the pixelated pillar that had been behind him. A flash of color off to the World Three Navis' right caught his attention and he turned to see a red blur weaving through the pillars quickly, sliding to a stop for a second as the owner sliced through a virus. The enemy Navi grinned evilly when he recognized the elite Official Protoman and rose the hand that held his whip, getting ready to lash out at the faster fighter when something held his arm back. The jester-like trickster blinked in surprise then looked up, Bass glaring down at him while hovering slightly as he held the other's arm in place effortlessly. Luckily for the cloaked warrior, the jester-like fighter didn't notice that his restricting hand was glowing.

"I seriously hope you didn't forget that your fight is with me and no one else, did you?..."

"What can you do? I already know your moves!" The World Three Navi proclaimed, grinning broadly at the taller Navi.

"Do you now..." The ebony fighter growled lowly, moving his free arm so the hand was in view.

A dark energy ball with electricity coursing through it hovered just slightly off his palm. The once cocky rainbow terrorist shrunk down just from feeling the power radiating off the weapon, quivering when he was once laughing. The solo warrior narrowed his eyes then snarled the name of his attack (Darkness Overload), effectively dealing the enemy a great deal of damage. In the distance, Protoman's back stiffened as he, too, felt the power that attack left off. The visored Navi turned to see the cloaked fighter land without being damaged by fallout. When the dust cleared, the clown Navi was barely standing, still visibly shaking in fear. Instead of becoming cocky, Bass was glaring and had a silent snarl on his face, his form ready for some sort of counterattack.

"Now you become serious," The melee fighter muttered to himself, smirking softly, "Good. Because things aren't going to become any easier..."

After that was said, the visored Navi tore off into a blur again. Meanwhile, Clownman tried to use his Thunder Claw attack again, despite his injuries. The sable warrior scowled and muttered Life Aura as he rose his right arm then throw it back down to his side, a lightning bolt whip appearing in his hands that cracked against the tiled ground. Thinking that it was Fire Ring, the World Three member cringed in anticipation of the claws and teeth, becoming surprised when the whip itself wrapped around him. He didn't have any time to think about it, however, as he was then promptly electrocuted into deletion.

"Idiot," The singed fighter grumbled, turning and walking away while reconnecting the audio. Just in time too.

"- send him to the electronic core as well," A boy's voice came through, one that Bass didn't recognize.

"Right," Eva's voice came in next, a stern tone in it, "Bass?"

"I heard, on my way now."

* * *

Clownman. EXE; His description is exactly the same as Clown Man. Attack: Electric Whip= Whip made entirely out of electricity with spiked parts. The whips wrap tightly around the opponent with the spikes digging into them then releases a strong discharge into the victim. Fire Ring= Cracks his whip and summons lions to attack the opponent. Thunder Claw= Electricity enwraps his hands then slams them against the ground, sending an electric shockwave towards the opponent. (The Fire Ring attack belongs to Circusman. EXE, I just used it because I was running out of ideas for attacks.)


End file.
